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Originally, the sneeze guard was invented for buffets in 1959. This made is possible for people to feel comfortable about eating food that was exposed. It was introduced to help prevent the spread of germs. Johnny Garneau was ahead of his time while making these plastic guards. He was a germaphobe and an owner of a restaurant that was a buffet style place. He did not like having that many people too up close and exposed to his food.

Skip to today’s day, the sneeze guard makes another appearance for a similar reason. The national pandemic called the Corona virus has made a lot of companies change policies and some to even shut down. Most grocery stores wanted to make a change for the public to see. Hand sanitizes and disinfectant wipes have been placed all over the store and especially near exits and entrances. There are also markers all over the store stating 6 feet away to social distance. There are improvements throughout the hygiene of the store every day. One additional hygiene step that most grocery stores took is adding sneeze guards for cashiers. They are clear thin boards made of plexieglass. The objective for this is to prevent any unnecessary germs to get from one person to another such as sneezing, coughing or any other ways to pass the virus. This not only protects the employees, but also the customers. Companies like Walmart, Albertsons, Kroger, Publix and Whole Foods have all added one for their cashiers. These are deemed as essential so they will remain open which means the need more regulations to prevent the spread.

Walmart is taking precautions and added those at all 4,700 US locations and at 600 Sam’s Club locations. They are clear plastic shields that separate the worker from the customer. The pharmacies in Walmart also have an even bigger one with just a slit separating the customer and the workers. They are doing this in hopes to promote social distancing.

Walmart has also given their employees gloves and masks to protect themselves and others from the virus. Additionally, all Walmart employees need their temperature checked and a thorough evaluation before even stepping foot into the store. They also have attached a message on each employee’s nametag stating to “keep your 5 feet apart” for social distancing.

It took less than 2 hours for Walmart to install these at every register. The pharmacy at the Walmart was the first one to put their sneeze guards up. They are big enough to cover the counter which is a little less than 2 feet. These plexieglass barriers make people safer and more importantly, feel safer while going out. These precautions have helped people feel a lot safer because more and more people have been visiting the stores as of recently.