Tri-City shoppers who frequent T&T Supermarket can expect added screening measures after the Asian grocer announced it would be rolling out temperature checks for both customers and employees.
Scheduled to begin Monday, April 20, the temperature checks represent the latest measure by the grocery chain to try and limit the spread of the novel coronavirus among customers and staff. Employees at the store already sanitize shopping baskets, wear masks and gloves, and at the checkout, plexiglass has been installed to maintain a barrier between shopper and cashier.
The non-invasive temperature checks will be carried out with infrared thermometers, which scan an individual's temperature without any physical contact.
Fever is one of the telltale symptoms of a COVID-19 infection. Others include a dry cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue and a sore throat. In some cases, the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control notes those infected may experience muscle aches, a headache, loss of appetite, chills, a runny nose, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and a loss of sense of smell or taste.
Grocery stores are not limited to the same mass gathering rules as some other establishments. Deemed essential by the province, they are nonetheless are expected to follow “the spirit of the order.” Many stores have put that into action by limiting the number of customers in at once, opening for extended hours to limit crowding at peak hours, or by creating safe distance markers at cashier lineups.
As of Saturday, April 18, over 2.3 million people worldwide have come down with COVID-19, and the disease has taken over 160,000 lives in 185 countries.
In B.C., the total caseload sits at 1,647, with 115 hospitalized and 81 deaths as of Saturday, April 18. Roughly 41% of those cases have been traced back to the Fraser Health region, which includes the Tri-Cities.
