Dollar General Installing Sneeze Guards, Maintaining Dedicated Senior Shopping Hours Due to Coronavirus

Dollar General is one of the many retailers taking steps to protect customers and employees during the coronavirus pandemic. Since the chain sells groceries and other essentials, their locations have remained open like Walmart, Target and supermarkets. On Friday, the company said it was taking more measures to help, including adding sneeze guards and making masks available for employees.

In its latest update relating to the coronavirus pandemic, Dollar General listed several new measures. Employees will now be provided with facemasks and gloves to wear, and hand sanitizer will be made available to customers and employees. The company also plans on installing about 40,000 sneeze guards at checkout registers at every store. There will also be reminders of social distancing throughout the store, telling people to stay at least six feet apart. There will also be enhanced cleaning and stocking procedures at all stores. They will be closing an hour early to give employees enough time to make sure everything is clean and stocked.

Dollar General was also one of the first nationwide chains to start senior hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said those 65 and older are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. The hours have been in place since March 17, with only senior citizens allowed into stores for their first hour of operation.

"In keeping with our mission and our ongoing commitment to serve our communities, we are dedicating the first hour of each day to seniors," Todd Vasos, Dollar General CEO, said in a statement at the time. "We appreciate our customers' understanding of our decision and request they visit our stores later in the morning to allow at-risk populations the ability to purchase the items they need at affordable prices. During these unprecedented times, Dollar General is diligently working to meet the ongoing needs of our customers and communities. We are proud to live our mission and provide customers with everyday low prices on the household essentials that are used and replenished most often."

Dollar General also announced plans to hire up to 50,000 new employees through the end of April. The company will also "continue to actively monitor the impact of COVID-19 across our organization while following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, U.S. Department of State and state and local health authorities. A cross-functional task force is diligently working to guide our practices and responses to promote employee and customer safety."

The discount retailer is hardly the only chain instituting senior hours or adding sneeze guards. Stores like Target, Albertsons, Safeway, Stop & Shop, Walmart and others now have special hours for seniors and others considered at risk. Walmart and other supermarkets have installed plexiglass sneeze guards at cash registers to protect customers and cashiers.