Grocery stores are taking extra steps to keep customers and employees healthy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Employees at grocery chain Kroger have been encouraged to continue practicing sanitary habits. Kroger spokesman Eric Halvorson says more hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes should be available around the store for customers to use.

”We do have some directions that have gone out to the stores to make sure they’re doing proper hygiene and cleaning, and making sure the store environment is as pristine as it can be," he says.

A screenshot of the Kroger website's message to online shoppers about limits on cold, flu and cleaning products in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. (Kroger.com)

Halvorson says guidelines entail things like deli and bakery workers changing their plastic gloves more frequently, cashiers wiping down self-checkout kiosks and credit card readers and employees sanitizing carts before bringing them in from the parking lots.

Kroger is currently limiting purchases of sanitizing, cold and flu products to five per customer.

In the event of a more serious coronavirus outbreak, Halvorson says he doesn’t foresee any stores closing their doors to customers. He says the company is still evaluating its paid leave policy.

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