Our government has taken precautions to try and reduce the spread of the virus as much as possible. Many places have closed down like the Lakefront, parks, entertainment venues, malls, and dine-in restaurants. However, a lot of places considered essential stayed open. The workers who work these essential jobs are most at risk of catching the virus.
One of the essential workplaces staying open are hospitals and nursing homes. Nurses and doctors are currently risking their lives since they interact with patients who have the virus. In a Washington Post article, there have been dozens of workers who tested positive for the Coronavirus after being exposed to it. The article talks about a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington where almost four dozen of their staff tested positive for the virus.
Hospital workers are not the only ones who are at a higher risk. Grocery stores have workers who interact with hundreds of customers a day. Ever since panic buying started, more and more customers have been coming into stores. I recently went to Mariano’s and social distancing was not being practiced. When I walked in, people were looking at products and shopping but were 6 feet apart from each other. Cashiers in grocery stores are constantly interacting with customers. According to USA Today, people can be infected with the virus through the air or by touching products that have been contaminated. Since grocery stores are constantly packed, they could potentially become vectors in spreading the virus.
Another place susceptible to spreading the virus are banks. I have a friend working in a bank who told me social distancing was only being practiced with customers and not fellow coworkers. The workers in this bank are also not using gloves when interacting with customers which could potentially put the customers and workers at risk. According to a Bank Rate article, there is a slim chance of catching the virus through cash, especially if they touch their eyes, mouth or nose afterward, which is why people should be more cautious when handling money.
These are just some essential jobs that put workers at risk of catching the Coronavirus. Workplaces should put more effort into keeping their workers safe. Healthcare workers are the people we need most right now, and I believe hospitals should keep their employees’ health in their best interest. Hospitals and nursing homes should take all the precautions they can to keep their workers’ health safe. 4
Grocery stores like Mariano’s should enforce social distancing more in their stores. This can be done by limiting the number of people who can be in the grocery store at one time. This would be safer for the workers and could give workers more time to sanitize surfaces and carts. Banks who have not already done so should invest in giving gloves to their workers, and enforcing social distancing.
No matter what business you are running, if you are going to make your employees continue working during this pandemic, then employers should do all they can to make the workplace as safe as possible for their employees.