Retailers will be required to limit the number of customers in their stores and take other measures to ensure proper distancing starting Monday under an order issued by Governor Roy Cooper.
He said during a news conference Thursday afternoon that the number of people inside a store cannot exceed 20 percent of its maximum occupancy under the fire code or five people per 1,000 square feet.
The order also requires retailers to mark spaces six feet apart where people gather, such as checkout lines, and to perform “frequent” cleaning and routine disinfection. “This should make shopping safer for our customers and retail employees, and prevent stores from becoming a flashpoint for virus transmission,” Cooper said. “Even as you follow the stay at home order, there are still essential reasons to leave the house, like for groceries and medicine, and we want to ensure retail stores are as safe as possible for everyone so no one is a afraid to go out for basic necessities… In addition, Cooper said the order also “encourages” stores to take additional steps… The Pilot