ST. LOUIS — Elyse Guttmann said she's been working at the same St. Louis grocery store for eight years. While she didn't want to disclose which store, she said it's one of the many in our area that began implementing its own social distancing and enhanced cleaning procedures as COVID-19 cases began to rise in the area.
For Guttmann, the news that younger people were testing positive was a wake-up call.
“That’s when things really started to ramp up for me and my family," Guttmann said.
Deemed an essential employee, she said she was forced to ask herself tough questions as she continued to work and interact with customers, even with safety measures in place.
"I came home one night and asked myself, 'What if I get sick? Okay, what if I get sick and it’s really bad. Okay, what if I die?'" she said. “I did kind of have to question my own mortality, which working at a grocery store, I never thought I would.”
Yet, over the past few weeks, she admitted she has faced many emotions as the community continues to adjust it its new normal.
"Initially, it was overwhelming," Guttmann said. “You know, just the number of people in the store, that’s a lot to manage. It was a lot of energy.”
However, she said, as people started practicing their own social distancing and stores began implementing their own policies, the burden was eased.
“What’s been great is that we were doing that sort of stuff before we were mandated to," Guttmann said. "For me, it helped me feel like the company was helping protect us which was really nice.”
Guttmann, who added she has not actually felt fearful while doing her job, said a vast majority of interactions with customers have been positive. She said she believes they appreciate the measures stores are taking to keep them safe.
On Monday, a statewide stay-at-home order went into effect in Missouri, impacting the number of customers stores can allow inside at one time. Guttmann said that won't have a major impact on her store, since there are already measures in place, but she hopes it will continue to offer a safe environment for shoppers and employees.
In the meantime, she said she feels a new sense of responsibility and purpose in her work.
“As long as I am healthy and able bodied, it is my civil and social duty to be there and to help people," Guttmann said.
And while shoppers may get frustrated with the current speed of the supply chain and having to potentially wait longer as stores serve fewer shoppers at a time, she said she hopes people on both sides of the situation will offer grace.
“What you’re feeling is valid, and it’s real. It’s okay that you’re irritated," Guttmann said. “We’re all doing the best that we can, and some days that just looks different than others.”
