Despite concerns of the coronavirus pandemic, junior Brenna Tuffy doesn’t let the outbreak stop her from doing her job. 

“I feel like I should be [terrified of getting the coronavirus], but I’m not,” Tuffy said. “Someone has to [work], and if no one does, then people aren’t going to get what they need.” 

Grocery stores, pharmacies, and other essential businesses have remained open under an executive order announced by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, and many have taken safety measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tuffy and junior Luke Palamidis are among a few Pascack Valley students who remain working in grocery stores.

Palamidis and junior Michael Hanna are both online associates for ShopRite of Hillsdale and have to bag groceries for online orders and deliver them to the customers. Although Hanna has stopped working at ShopRite due to health issues, he plans on returning to his job once the pandemic is over. 

“I don’t want to get [the coronavirus] and give it to my parents, but I wash my hands every hour of work now and I wear gloves,” Palamidis said. 

At the ShopRite, assistant store manager Susie Guadio said there is tape placed on the floors near the cashiers to ensure that customers are standing six feet apart. Wearing gloves is also mandatory for employees working in foodservice departments including the deli, prepared foods, meat, seafood, and bakery departments, while they have the option to wear masks. 

“Employees and customers have been coming in wearing gloves and masks, and they’ve been keeping their distance willingly to keep safe,” Guadio said. 

Guadio said customers normally place around 30 online orders a day, but with the outbreak, online orders cannot exceed 60 to 70 orders. Hanna and Palamidis have noticed customers are especially stocking up on hand sanitizers, toilet paper, and paper towels. 

“The first thing I noticed that was instantly gone like a week before [the virus] became really big was hand sanitizers,” Hanna said. “We’ve been sold out for weeks, and then it became toilet paper. That’s when I knew that people were starting to freak out.”

Due to high demand, ShopRite has put restrictions on certain items that customers can buy, including two per category, such as disinfectant cleaners and wipes, paper products, bar and liquid soaps, fresh meat and chicken, eggs, and over-the-counter medicine.

“Customers have been considerate and they’re not too annoyed because they know what’s going on, but they do get a little upset when they call in to order out of stock items,” Palamidis said. 

Tuffy, who works as a cashier at the Kings in Hillsdale, said the first item to go out of stock was hand sanitizer, and after schools closed, people began to stock up on toilet paper and paper towels. Kings has also restricted the number of certain purchases as part of their own safety precautions.

“People are buying certain items like toilet paper just because they’re fearful that if they run out, they won’t be able to get their hands on it again,” Tuffy said.

Tuffy said the cash registers are disinfected regularly, employees wear gloves, and people maintain their social distance. Kings has also dedicated a time slot to only allow senior citizens and other customers more susceptible to the virus to shop at the store between 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.

“Customers are way more scared than I am [to contract the virus],” Tuffy said. “Some have worn face masks and gloves, and some people have been starting to come in while we’re closing so they don’t run into people.”