Haymarket Police Help Enforce Social Distancing at Walmart

Posted

Officer Charles Burgoon helps to enforce social distancing guidelines at Haymarket Walmart. Photo Courtesy of the Haymarket Police Department

The Haymarket Police came to the aid of the town's Walmart Saturday when customers were not following the social distancing guidelines mandated by Governor Ralph Northam's emergency COVID-19 order.

While obtaining supplies for an elderly resident, Haymarket Mayor David Leake observed the general manager and asset protection manager of the Haymarket Walmart attempting to get customers to comply with the order.

The Mayor directed Haymarket Police Officer Coire Oneal and Charles Burgoon to assist the store's management in their compliance efforts.

"We out our cones and delineators so lanes could be created to keep customers in organized lines while waiting to shop," a police spokesman posted on social media. "We all need to help each other in this stressful time and we are thankful that Walmart remains open for our residents to be able to get the items they need during this time."

Cones are set up outside of the Haymarket Walmart to manage social distancing and limit the number of customers in the store at the same time.

This weekend, a photo circulated on social media depicting residents crowding together on line at the Lowes in Gainesville. With the "Stay at Home" order in place in Virginia, essential business have struggled to enforce social distancing mandates.

Since the designation of "essential business" is loosely defined in the Governor's order, businesses are permitted to remain open in Virginia if they enforce social distancing and limited the number of individuals in their stores at a time.

coronavirus, covid, covid-19, essential-business, featured, gainesville, grocery, haymarket, peake, prince-william-county, shopping, supermarket, walmart