With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic across the world, stores and businesses are changing policies and regulations to ensure the safety of their workers and customers.
Information about the coronavirus pandemic is rapidly changing and Diply is committed to providing the most recent data as it becomes available. Some of the information in this story may have changed since publication, and we encourage readers to use online resources from CDC and WHO to stay up to date on the latest information surrounding COVID-19 .
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Some stores are turning customers away if they are not wearing protective gear.
Many stores are now mandating that customers wear a mask in order to enter the store. This includes many pharmacies and grocery stores.
As of April 1, Costco was one of the major retailers that began turning people away without masks.
The store’s website issued a statement reading :
“This change is for your safety and the safety of our employees and other members, and to further assist with our social distancing efforts. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.”
Additionally, there were other changes to the customer policy.
Costco stores located in Kentucky and Puerto Rico only allow one person per membership card to come in to shop to follow social distancing guidelines.
Some of the new policies also include shorter hours.
Some stores have been closing earlier to spend time restocking and cleaning, and others are cutting hours for employees to minimize their exposure.
But, for single parents, these policies can be problematic.
While prior to COVID-19, it was easy to drop the kids off at a friend’s, hire a babysitter, or even leave them with Grandma and Grandpa — it’s different today.
Self-isolation and quarantine have made it nearly impossible to find child care.
In a single-parent household, finding someone to watch your kids when you can’t see anyone outside of your home is the ultimate dilemma.
One single mother posted a live video on Facebook showing that she was turned away from Costco.
The mom from Texas, Ari ElToro, says in her video that she was turned away for bringing her two children with her to shop for food and other essential items.
ElToro waited to speak to a manager in Costco, but nothing changed.
She stated in her video that it’s unfair that, as a single mother, she can’t shop for her children and she also can’t find a babysitter either due to self-isolation guidelines.
Other parents are experiencing the same problems.
In her video, the mom showed another family that was also turned away from the store because of the new policy.
Costco has yet to officially respond to the video that has gone viral on Facebook.
With many parents across the country raising children on their own, this does raise a very important issue that the company will have to answer.
Online, however, ElToro’s video has gone viral.
Since it was posted to Facebook, the video has racked up 97, 000 views and hundreds of comments.
ElToro’s video has also generated a lot of discussion about being a single parent during the pandemic.
Many Facebook users understood ElToro’s frustration and empathized with her situation.
“This is honestly discrimination at this point towards single-family households,” one Facebook user commented on the video.
Some users suggested alternatives for ElToro, like ordering groceries online.
However, others pointed out that these services can be expensive, and many are experiencing significant delays due to increased demand from the pandemic.
After the controversy generated by her video, ElToro posted a few updates to Facebook.
She said a local business owner who heard of her situation contacted the store and threatened to pull their business membership. ElToro was then allowed to shop with her children.
In her follow-up video, ElTorro said an employee clarified their policy to her.
According to ElToro, the employee said they do make exceptions for single-parent households and that ElToro should not have any future issues.
ElToro also said that she understood that warehouse staff were, “just doing their job” by enforcing the policy.
However, she said that she wished the employees had seen how the policy could be problematic for some families from the beginning.
This isn’t the first time single parents have had issues at grocery stores during the pandemic.
One mom, MaryAnn Fausey Resendez , even resorted to putting a sign on her daughter’s back to stop strangers from shaming her.
That post also went viral and sparked a huge conversation online about how single parents are coping during the pandemic.
It’s an important reminder that everyone’s circumstances are different. Families of frontline and essential workers have also had to adjust to this new reality.
While we’re all struggling during this time, it’s important to remember to lend a helping hand.
If you can share some goods with others who have a hard time getting them on their own, donating or sharing is always appreciated.
