After Connie Huang nearly got pelted in the head, twice, by a package of spice, the grocery store cashier wrote the City of Richmond to ask how she is expected to maintain social distancing in her store if there are no bylaw officers around to enforce the regulation.

Huang, a cashier at Supermarket 2000 - an independent grocery store near the Aberdeen Centre - was almost hit by two spice packages earlier this week when she told customers to keep a healthy distance from each other.

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"I heard a loud thump sound and felt something flying overhead. He (a customer) told me I was ‘completely unreasonable’ to ask him to do that. He gave me a dirty look before leaving the store."

Huang used to work part-time, but switched to full-time as wave after wave of anxious shoppers flooded the store.

“I don’t want to contract COVID-19 during work nor to bring home the virus. I hesitate to go to work each time but I also feel obligated to provide the essential food supply. I remind customers from time to time to stay two meters apart as they are lining up to pay,” Huang wrote to the city.

“ Many people still are not aware of the two meters social distancing. The City of Vancouver will fine violators $1,000 if they do not comply.May I ask what bylaws are in place to protect workers like me?” it continues.

Huang has yet to hear back.

"If you are keeping distance, you are also helping our people better serve our community during this time," said Huang.

Meanwhile, another Richmondite is concerned some retailers are not adequately enforcing the distancing rules.

A Richmond News reader, who would like to remain anonymous, said she was at a different grocery store earlier this week which was “super crowded.”

Customers inside the store were not maintaining a two-meter distance from each other, and store staff was not enforcing it.

A statement issued by that particular store explains that it has put up posters at store entrances and has markers on the floor to remind people to keep their distance from each other.

However, most Richmond stores have not employed security personnel (as has been done in some Toronto grocery stores) to enforce the distancing regulation.

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