Earlier this week, grocery stores including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Stop&Shop, and Aldi announced reduced store hours during the COVID-19 outbreak to better "safeguard the health and safety" of employees and customers. Because grocery stores are considered essential businesses—along with hospitals, gas stations, pharmacies, laundromats and more—they will not be subject to Governor Andrew Cuomo's "PAUSE" plan, and won't be closing down completely at any point.
That should bring a sense of relief to a lot of people concerned about unfounded rumors that grocery stores will be mass shuttered. As billionaire Gristedes magnate John Catsimatidis wrote on Thursday, the food supply chain infrastructure in America remains sound.
"After last weekend’s rush to shop and customers cleared the shelves, our stores were immediately re-stocked for opening Monday morning," Catsimatidis wrote. "Our Store Managers and Staff are dedicated employees. Many have worked for us for over 20 years. Our employees are working hard 24 hours a day to make sure your family has what it needs. There is plenty of food, cleaning agents, and paper products in our stores. I encourage you to remain calm."
There is one group who might have slightly more mixed feelings about all that: grocery store workers, who say they are stressed, overworked, and terrified they are going to pick up the virus from a customer.
"Working here right now gives you so much stress. I believe that this can only be supported with the strength of God," said Daniel Ferreria, who works in the stocking department at a C-Town in Washington Heights. Ferreria, 61, was working on Friday at the store; he wasn't wearing gloves, unlike the cashiers, and he wasn't wearing a mask, because he heard the government say not to get them. "If this goes on with us working and working, we are all going to get sick, so what are we going to do? Just work and work and work while others stay inside?"
The Bravo Supermarket in Bed-Stuy on Friday
At the Super Food Town in Bed-Stuy, there was a distinct lack of social distancing between shoppers. “The line right now wraps around all the way to the back of the store," said Eric Fletcher.
The 23-year-old Fletcher, who was stocking produce there, said that management had taken some precautions with workers. “They make everybody clean their hands, there’s hand sanitizer, so they let it be known,” he said.
At nearby Bravo Supermarket, Ali, who declined to give his last name, was less confident. "I made the decision to bring my own mask, because no one’s gonna provide it to me. So I provide it myself. They ain't giving me a mask," he said. He was wearing an N95 mask; a few other workers had surgical masks, but most did not.
When asked if he felt he was more at risk because of his job, a woman sneezed behind him. “Did you just see that? Definitely, definitely. You just saw that. I’m definitely at risk."
Another Bravo worker, who didn't give his name, was busy bringing empty boxes to the basement. He said he was worried because of his children. "It’s crazy right now, as you can see. They told me to keep six feet away, but as you can see that’s not easy to do."
The workers don't just have customers to worry about. At least two Whole Foods employees, one at the Columbus Circle branch and one at the Bryant Park branch, tested positive for coronavirus this week. In both cases, the stores closed early the day it was discovered, were cleaned, and then reopened the next morning. Some Whole Foods employees told Motherboard that they felt they had no choice but to go to work.
“I’ve worked the last six days in a row," one employee, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, told them. “There are record sales. People are saying they’re never seen anything like this. It can only be described as post-apocalyptic. Our shelves are empty. Literally everything is gone except for cheese. Workers are crying and having panic attacks.”
BuzzFeed also reported similar working conditions, and similar fears, at various groceries around the country. According to a group of workers trying to unionize Trader Joe's, some managers have even told employees not to wear gloves. "This isn’t the time for companies to get so dazzled by profits they forget to listen to the people who make them profitable," they tweeted. "Crewmembers are putting their lives at risk to serve our communities. "
During an appearance on the Brian Lehrer Show last week, Dr. Irwin Redlener, the director of Columbia University's National Center for Disaster Preparedness, stressed that stores should be doing more to protect employees and avoid overcrowding. "We understand that people want to stock up in case there is a more serious quarantine," he said. But things like limiting the number of people allowed in a store at any one time was an "absolutely critically important thing that must be done."
"Now is the time for everyone to be stepping up, including the people that own and manage pharmacies and grocery stores," he added. "The people who manage those stores need to be cognizant and socially responsible."
Additional Reporting By Emily Lang.
