HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture on Thursday afternoon issued guidance for the commonwealth’s essential grocery stores to ensure continuation of services to Pennsylvanians while maintaining a healthy workforce.
“In our current COVID-19 pandemic, retail food workers are among the heroes,” said Secretary Russell Redding. “We need their workforce to remain healthy – physically and mentally – and encourage managers and employees to heed this guidance for their own sake and for all who rely on their life-sustaining service.”
The guidance documents issued for Grocery and Convenience Store Procedures and Sanitization and Diagnosed Employee Procedures, include recommended overall best practices to protect against COVID-19 and also recommendations for:
- Customer protection,
- Employee protection,
- Facility sanitization, and
- Guidance for managing COVID-19 positive employees,
- Recommendations for both managers and employees to maintain physical and mental health.
The department reminded Pennsylvanians that even during Gov. Tom Wolf’s Stay at Home Order in 10 counties, trips to groceries stores, farmers markets and food banks are allowable essential travel and there is no need to stockpile more than is needed to sustain your family for one to two weeks.
“Pennsylvania’s supply chain is solid – farmers, production facilities and truckers are all still working,” added Redding. “Buying more than you need only hurts other Pennsylvanians; it hurts those working to provide these essentials, it hurts your neighbors, and it hurts our food banks.”
For information as it relates to agriculture during COVID-19 mitigation in Pennsylvania visit agriculture.pa.gov/COVID. For the most accurate, timely information related to Health in Pennsylvania, visit on.pa.gov/coronavirus.