Sumter grocery store, gas station workers try to maintain distance during COVID-19 pandemic

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Most small businesses have taken hard hits in the last two weeks in response to the continued spread of the coronavirus with less foot traffic in stores.

Many are trying to push through and make appropriate spacing and distancing adjustments.

Robert Jones, general manager of Jones Chevrolet Cadillac on Broad Street, said the dealership is doing everything it can to serve and protect customers and employees.

Employees have been divided into two working shifts to limit exposure and cross contamination. In the showroom, waiting lounge chairs have been spaced appropriately as well, he said.

The service/parts department is also practicing distancing as much as possible by encouraging customers to drop off cars and return later instead of waiting within the building.

Department scheduling is being adjusted so there are no more than two customers in the waiting room area at one time, Jones said. The dealer also has outside seating to accommodate distancing requirements.

Throughout the day, staff is wiping down chairs, surfaces and door handles to keep areas as clean as possible.

The dealership has sold cars this week, he said, and will continue to adapt as required by Gov. Henry McMaster.

As of now, no full-time staff has been laid off, Jones said, and he wants to support his employees and continue as much of an operation as possible but admitted these are uncertain times.

At the Sunoco Gas Station on North Guignard Drive, across the street from Guignard Diner, owner/operator Sam Patel was behind the counter Thursday and said he has to interact with customers all the time.

"People that come in may have the virus, and I'm very, very scared," Patel said.

Business is down to a few hundred dollars a day, and he's had to cut back his two employees' hours.

"I am selling lottery tickets and not much else," he said.

Because he's not making any money, he's not ordering items either.

With a wife and one child, Patel said he is considering closing the doors next week for possibly three weeks.

Down the road, where Guignard turns into Bultman Drive, The Olive Tree and Doolallies gift shop was open for the first time this week, according to management partner Miriam Moore.

The store operated Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. because of customers' needs for supplies. The front doors were propped open so no one had to touch handles, and bathrooms were closed.

Moore said last week and Thursday only limited staff has been working to ensure there are fewer than 10 people in the store at any given time.

Surfaces are kept clean, and social distancing is maintained. Curbside pickup and delivery is also available for customers, she said.

For the next couple weeks, the store plans to take it "day by day," she said, on whether to operate and will stay in compliance with government officials.

"We're trying to find that balance between the well-being of the community and the needs of churches we work with, other customers and employees," Moore said.

Business was down a lot at Bojangles on Broad Street on Thursday morning, according to Shift Manager Andrea Dyson. Like all restaurants, with the state mandate to close dine-in services, Bojangles can only operate its drive-through.

GROCERY STORES

Not every business is seeing customers drop off, and not every business can close.

Grocery stores across the U.S. are busier than normal in the wake of COVID-19 as customers continue to need to buy food and are stocking up given the uncertainty.

Piggly Wiggly, at 1011 Broad St., is no exception.

Store operator Luther Jamison said the grocery store considers its operation a public service and is doing the best it can with supply chain disruptions, given increased demand for products. He said employees are holding up fairly well and operating as a team.

Like everyone else, the operation is taking things day by day.

Employees are wearing gloves and wiping down keyboards and punch pads frequently.

The store has reduced its hours from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. to 7 a.m.-8 p.m., and that has helped employees get home earlier and get rest before coming back in, he said.

Store seafood manager Kristie Cook said there was some anxiety among co-workers at first when the pandemic began to grip the country about two weeks ago, "but we've come together as a family."

"Everybody is working extra hours to get the job done and to try to keep shelves stocked, and we're handling it the best we can," Cook said.

In recent days, crowds in the store have reduced some, which helps maintain social distancing at 6 feet.

"Our customers are really good about not walking up on you, and that's helpful," Cook said. "This has been an experience for sure, something I haven't seen in 14 years here."