Maryland county recommends grocery store trips based on shoppers' last name

[left-of-center2012]

Calvert County, Maryland, is recommending limiting the number of people inside grocery and convenience stores by assigning different days to different consumers based on their last name to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The voluntary plan, published by the Calvert County Health Department on Wednesday, would limit trips to once in every five days for individuals, with A-C last names shopping on dates ending with 0 and 5, D-G names shopping on dates ending with 1 and 6, H-L names shopping on dates ending with 2 and 7, M-R names shopping on dates ending with 3 and 8, and last names starting with S-Z shopping on dates ending with 4 and 9.

“We all want to get back to our normal lives as soon as possible,” the county said in its announcement.

The Maryland county also said that beginning Thursday all stores must properly disinfect all shopping carts or make antiseptic wipes available for customer use at the entrance, and everyone waiting in line at deli counters or registers must stay at least six feet apart. It also said there should be an occupancy limit of five people per 1,000 square feet, which the county said echoes policies from Walmart and grocery store chain Giant.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/493156-maryland-county-recommends-grocery-store-trips-based-on-shoppers-last

[SoCalNative]

1. And how would that work, exactly

for people who don't venture out to the stores but order grocery delivery?

[FreeState]

2. It wouldn't effect it as your not leaving the house n/t

[Bev54]

3. No thanks

I think that would bring people out even if they do not really need to at the time but feel they should, because it is their turn. I am able to stay in longer than many because I have made and froze many meals so if I need anything it is a a real necessity and a quick in and out. No thanks, just keep limiting the amount of people in the stores, here we have portable wash stations and all have to wash their hands going in and coming out of the stores.

[customerserviceguy]

4. Agreed

It's a purely arbitrary way to divide us. I can imagine an essential worker who has a brief period of time to shop after work. She can't find Item X at her favorite supermarket, and there is no time to get in another stop at a different market, that may even be in another town. So, when she takes her limited time the next day to find Item X, she is told at the checkout counter that she can't buy it because of her surname.

As I recall, the odd-even thing for gasoline sales back in the 1970's didn't do anything to cool short tempers.

[Igel]

6. Didn't much cool tempers.

Time did that.

Did shorten lines.

[ARPad95]

5. My New York county has been doing a voluntary "shelter in place."

[link:https://www.syracuse.com/coronavirus/2020/04/onondaga-county-calls-for-voluntary-shelter-in-place-shuts-golf-courses-to-fight-coronavirus.html|

Here’s how it will work:

If you were born in an even year, such as 1970, then run errands and go to county parks on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
If you were born in an odd year, such as 1971, then go out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Sundays will alternate. On April 12 even years go out; on April 19, odd years go out.
The order runs from April 7 to April 21. McMahon said he didn’t know if there were other, similar voluntary requests in New York.

“This disease, this virus is a killer,” McMahon said. “It killed five of our neighbors.” [Death total is now at 17.]