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Checking in with some folks who continue to keep us fed

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As our statewide stay-at-home continues, grocery store workers and food delivery drivers continue to work on the front lines in Las Vegas, making it possible for the public to access everyday necessities.

Patrick Hovey, 38, has worked at Albertsons in Las Vegas for 21 years. As a general merchandise manager, it’s his job to oversee non-food stuff like toothpaste, medicine and lotion—but surprisingly, not toilet paper. “That goes in the grocery field,” he laughs.

Hovey says Albertsons is requiring employees to wear masks and undergo health screenings—answering questions like, “Do you have a fever?” and, “Have you been in contact with someone who has COVID-19?”—before clocking in.

“[Employees] kind of just take care of each other,” Hovey says. “[But] not all the customers are taking it seriously. They don’t always wear masks. Everyone should take it seriously and wear masks when they leave their place.”

Hovey says Albertsons has allowed its workers to take sick days, installed front-facing shields at the check-out counters and recently even installed plastic curtains behind checker stations, so employees are protected all around.

“It’s no joke,” Hovey says. “You wake up going, ‘OK, this is a Russian roulette deal going on here. It’s scary. But you want to go back to work, and you feel happy and proud that you’re an essential worker. I’m proud Albertsons has made sure we have what we need.”

Joey Martel, 33, has worked at Trader Joe’s in Las Vegas for the past six years and says he hasn’t felt unsafe there since the pandemic hit.

“Trader Joe’s was one of the first companies to jump ahead and make sure we were following procedures,” Martel says. “We try to keep it manageable for everyone to keep their distance and still have a good experience.”

Martel says Trader Joe’s has been limiting its capacity to around 30-40, including both customers and employees. “All of the employees are taking social distancing protocol seriously,” he says.

But like Hovey, Martel says some customers aren’t being as cautious. “Almost 70% of people are wearing masks, but there’s a lot of people who really don’t care, who are either oblivious to [the pandemic] or feel like this whole thing is a hoax,” Martel says. “You can really tell some people don’t believe in anything that’s going on.”

Martel recommends having a grocery list ready when you shop so you can get in and out faster, and purchasing only what you need for the week ahead. “It’s important to keep buying fresh food, fruits and vegetables,” he says.

For families, Martel suggests leaving kids at home, if possible; not buying in excess; and shopping for the elderly. “If you have a neighbor who’s older, offer to buy their groceries,” he says.

Blake Ensign, 20, was attending the University of Arizona when the school closed due to the pandemic. Now, he’s back home in Las Vegas working as a Postmates driver to ride out the quarantine.

Ensign has been Postmating for a month and a half and says so far he’s had a “great experience.”

“It was super-easy to sign up. They send you a little baggy, and it doesn’t cost you anything,” Ensign says. “[And] Postmates allows me to work when I want.”

Ensign says he’s been taking cautionary measures, like wearing a mask and gloves when he’s delivering. “Postmates said masks could be shipped to each individual driver if [requested],” he says.

Most of the time, customers choose Postmates’ “leave at the door” option, which allows Ensign to make no-contact deliveries. Others do open the door to receive their food, but Ensign says he considers Las Vegas a mostly safe place to be delivering right now.

“Not only [are] the restaurants following protocol, but the people of Las Vegas [are, too],” he says. “You don’t see anybody standing in restaurants within six feet of each other. It just really shows that people here do care.”

Still, Ensign says tipping has been something of an issue, in his experience. Many customers neglect to tip after food is dropped off, and drivers often won’t receive a tip until days after a delivery—likely when someone reopens the app to order again.

“[You make] $2-$4 for a basic delivery, so if you’re not tipping and someone is driving six miles, you’re not making anything,” Ensign says. “Once you get your food, sit down and answer those quick questions [on the app]. It helps us out a lot.”

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