While Coloradans are already encouraged to wear cloth face coverings when going on grocery runs, they can take additional sanitary steps to ensure their purchases remain contaminant-free.

Food safety information published by North Carolina State University Extension states it may be possible to contract COVID-19 by touching food packaging or a contaminated surface and then touching your face, but it is not considered the primary mode of transmission. The virus is generally thought to spread from person to person through respiratory droplets.

In addition, no current evidence suggests there is a significant risk of transmission through eating food that might inadvertently contain the virus.

However, grocery customers should use hand sanitizer before entering the store and then wash and/or sanitize their hands as soon as possible after leaving. Hands should also be washed before food preparation or eating.

Supermarket patrons should try to maintain social distancing as much as possible. They should also avoid unnecessarily touching multiple items when browsing.

Customers should avoid shopping altogether when showing symptoms or believing they have been exposed to the virus. Stores will request sick employees or customers to leave.

To minimize customer risk, many stores are following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on cleaning and disinfecting. Stores may also provide sanitizer to customers.

While the information above came from the North Carolina State University Extension, it and other COVID-19 resources can be accessed on the Colorado State University Extension website at extension.colostate.edu/disaster-web-sites/covid-19-resources.

From our sister paper The Mountain Mail at www.themountainmail.com

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