Updated 2 p.m. April 5: Revised to include updated CDC guildelines about wearing face masks in public and additional guidelines for handling produce.
During this new normal of social distancing, stay-at-home orders and working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic, North Texans must navigate how — and when — to safely buy food and other supplies.
Even while sheltering in place, many North Texans will leave home for groceries. But what’s the best and safest way to shop for necessities during the pandemic? Here’s what you need to know.
Plan ahead — but be prepared for the unexpected
Make a shopping list to ensure your trip goes as efficiently as possible. However, know that with increased demand, some items might be out of stock. Shoppers have snatched up food, toilet paper and hand sanitizer, despite warnings from state and public health officials that stockpiling supplies isn’t necessary.
If an item isn’t in stock and you don’t need it immediately, try scheduling a time for curbside pickup or order it using a delivery service.
Minimize shopping trips as much as possible
The virus mainly spreads through person-to-person contact. So, take as few shopping trips as possible. Health experts say it’s not worth making the trip for one or two items if your kitchen is otherwise stocked.
Bring sanitary wipes and hand sanitizer
Some stores wipe down their carts or provide cleaning wipes at entrances for customers to clean carts on their own. However, it doesn’t hurt to bring your own wipes just in case. Thoroughly wipe down the cart from the handle to the basket, as well as any other frequently touched areas.
Disinfectant wipes have also been hard to come by in recent weeks. If you don’t have wipes and there aren’t any at the store, you can try using napkins or paper towels when touching the cart. While gloves are generally aren’t recommended for coronavirus prevention, you can wear them when touching a shopping cart if it makes you feel more comfortable. Don’t touch your face while you have them on, and wash your hands right after you take them off.
Bring hand sanitizer to the store, if possible, so you can use it after you checkout or if you touched a lot of items. While soap and water works best for disease prevention, hand sanitizer is a good backup, as long as it’s at least 60% alcohol.
Keep your distance
Maintaining 6-feet social distancing, as recommended by public health officials, can be tricky in grocery stores. But you can still limit contact with others. Shopping during less busy hours, for example, can help prevent close encounters.
Keep in mind that some stores have modified their hours. Walmart is only open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., while Tom Thumb has shifted hours in its Dallas-Fort Worth stores to 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Additionally, some stores have set hours for senior citizens, who are at greater risk of developing complications if they contract the virus. Kroger has reserved 6 to 7:30 a.m. for seniors aged 60 and older, while Tom Thumb has blocked out 7 to 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for people who are 60 and older, at-risk or immunocompromised.
Your grocery cart can serve as a reminder of how far apart to keep from other people. A standard size grocery cart is 3 feet long on average, according to online retailers. To be safe, try to keep a distance of at least two shopping carts between yourself and others.
If you can, go to the store alone, health experts say. If you see a particularly busy aisle or intersection, try and do your shopping in other areas of the store first and then circle back to avoid groups of people. Remember to practice social distancing while in line. Some stores have placed reminders on the floor and near registers to point out public health guidelines.
Only buy what you need
Public health and elected officials have said that it’s not necessary to stockpile items like toilet paper, food and soap. Retailers and producers have stressed that the U.S. has plenty of food. Buying in large quantities, though, makes it difficult for stores to keep shelves stocked.
Joshua Petrie, an assistant research professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, told Vox that having more than two to three weeks on hand is “hoarding territory.”
Reconsider the purchase of WIC-labeled food, which is approved for purchase for participants in the federal supplemental nutrition program for low-income women, infants and children. In a time of increased demand, it can be harder for women in the program to substitute those items if they become unavailable. An item’s price tag will indicate whether it’s approved under the program.
Wear a mask
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention originally said that healthy people didn’t need to wear face masks, but it’s since revised its guidelines.
Now, the CDC recommends that people wear a cloth face mask in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to follow, such as grocery stores. This is especially recommended in places with significant community spread.
The CDC says you should regularly wash your face mask, avoid touching your face while it’s on and wash your hands after you take it off.
You can use gloves or a plastic bag to handle produce
While at the store, some experts say, you should avoid touching produce with bare hands, both for your safety and that of others in the store during the pandemic.
You can wear disposable gloves when handling produce and dispose of them afterward. A quicker solution is using an extra produce bag as a makeshift glove when selecting fruits and vegetables. If you do use gloves, wash your hands before putting them on and after taking them off.
Some food safety experts say you shouldn’t wash produce with soap and water, as ingesting soap can potentially give you digestive problems. The CDC and other health experts say simply running produce under water and rubbing the skin with your hands is effective.
Leave your phone in your pocket
Your phone is one of the most frequently touched items you own, meaning it’s also one of the grossest, health experts say. Be aware of what surfaces you’re placing your phone on and how often you touch the device with your hands or face. Writing your list on paper might be safer than entering it into your phone. It also allows you to put your phone away while shopping.
It’s a good idea to regularly disinfect the surface of your phone. On its support page, Apple recommends using 70% alcohol wipes or household Clorox wipe. Google has recommended using a cloth with soap and water. And AT&T says paper towels and disinfectant, or disinfectant wipes that are wrung out before use, work on phones.
Regardless of method, take care to avoid letting moisture into any openings.
Wash hands often, avoid touching your face
Health experts urge frequent hand-washing during the pandemic. Be sure and wash your hands before and after you shop, and once you put your groceries away. Also, while shopping, avoid touching your face.
Things to consider when checking out
If possible, try contactless payment methods like Apple Pay or Google Pay. If that’s not possible, choosing between cash or credit can be tricky.
Cash, because it changes hands so often, harbors a lot of germs. While viruses generally live longer on harder surfaces than softer ones, like paper money, some public health experts say it’s better to be safe than sorry and avoid handling cash.
Meanwhile, using a credit card requires use of a keypad, another frequently touched surface.
The best thing you can do is wash your hands after you pay. If soap and water aren’t available, you can also use hand sanitizer, as long as it’s 60% alcohol. If you aren’t able to do either of those things until you get home, just make sure you avoid touching your face after touching money or other frequently used surfaces until you can wash your hands.
Wipe down your vehicle
Wash your hands and disinfect any high-touch surfaces after you get home.
Don’t forget about your vehicle. The steering wheel and gear stick are high-touch surfaces, and it’s a good idea to disinfect them after shopping.
You don’t have to wipe down groceries
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it’s unlikely the virus can be transmitted through food or food packaging. And health experts have said there’s really no need to take extra precautions when handling food or getting a grocery delivery.
Still, if you’re concerned, you can disinfect grocery packaging with household disinfectants before putting them away, then disinfect countertops that the groceries touched.
Try delivery options
Curbside pickup can be a good option if you want to avoid close contact. However, you may experience product shortages and increased wait times.
Contactless delivery is the safest option, health experts say. Some companies charge extra for delivery to your home, but if you are able to pay more for the service, health experts say it’s worth it. Others suggest you tip the delivery person. That can sometimes be done by credit card when you pay.
