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"A West Bloomfield grocery store that hired displaced restaurant workers to fill essential roles implemented visible safety measures: designated staff to collect and sanitize carts, personnel stationed to reassure customers that carts are sanitized, plexiglass shields at checkouts, and provision of gloves and hand sanitizer for employees and shoppers. The store has adjusted operations in step with state and county guidance — including symptom screening and temperature checks for employees, suspension of bottle returns, and answering customer questions about curbside pickup and stock — which most patrons have met with understanding. Employees perform varied tasks from sanitizing carts to checking out customers, face ongoing anxiety about exposure despite precautions, and some supplement income with gig work; the store’s proactive precautions have been a notable aspect of the shopping experience during the pandemic." - Brenna Houck