SPAR takes extra measures after Minister Patel announces new regulations
SPAR took some extra measures to ensure its workers’ and customers’ safety and social distancing towards the Covid-19 virus after Minister Ebrahim Patel announced new regulations to flatten the curve.
“We must shorten the queues outside the retailers’ stores. We must decrease the number of people in the stores to prevent the spread of the virus,” said Patel at a briefing on Friday.
“We are having a conversation with the retail sector, police and in the command centre to see what sensible ways we can enable people to get the basic foods and goods that they need to avoid large congregations that can spread the virus,” he said.
The minister said trolleys will be given to shoppers as a way to create some distance between shoppers while waiting in queues.
Patel assured South Africans that all retail shops will stock their shelves and meet all the basic needs of shoppers.
After this announcement the owner of SPAR Malalane, Lex Hollmann, decided to take the extra step to ensure the safety of his workers and his shoppers by installing sneeze shields at every pay point.
Hollmann said he first got the idea when he saw it at another SPAR in Johannesburg. He said it will protect both customers and workers, and to stop the travel of any droplets in the air.
Hollmann said it amazed him how dirty sneeze shields are after each day and therefore sanitise and clean them frequently to ensure the best results.
He said these shields were offered to all SPARs and they cost him about R32 000 to be installed, but no amount of money is too much when it comes to the safety of his workers and shoppers. This shield is placed between the cashier and the customer.
