Q&A: Public health expert weighs in on grocery safety measures

Grocers have enacted numerous safety protocols to protect their shoppers and employees from the coronavirus while also balancing local government regulations. These range from requiring customers to wear masks and limiting store capacity to implementing one-way aisles and rigorous cleaning regimens. 

As the coronavirus continues to spread in communities throughout the U.S., with health experts predicting a surge in cases during the fall and winter months, grocers are examining their procedures to make sure they're doing everything they can to prevent the virus from spreading. They've implemented some new policies recently (face masks) and are letting others go by the wayside (one-way aisles).  

Grocery Dive talked to Marissa Baker, an assistant professor at the University of Washington's Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences who is currently evaluating grocery store safety protocols as part of a forthcoming study, about the efficacy of these various initiatives and what else grocers could be doing.