The City of Langford is taking further steps to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The city is strongly advising all businesses to ask their staff to wear non-medical grade masks and face shields, especially those who handle and process food and groceries. To make this easier, the city is making masks and face shields available at-cost for businesses.
And this is not the only step the West Shore community is taking to increase safety measures.
As of April 20, the city is introducing a list of new requirements for all businesses in Langford, listed below.
- Require both store entrance and checkout lineups be marked with tape or cones every two metres, indicating where customers should stand while lined up
- Require plexiglass or plastic barriers be installed in a secure manner at all checkouts at locations between the customer being served and the cashier so as to create a physical barrier between the customer and the cashier and to prevent physical contact between the customer and the cashier
- Where a business has multiple checkouts, require at least two metres of separation between the customer at one operating checkout and the cashier at the next closest operating checkout
- Where business spaces contain aisles, require the aisles be marked to show which direction a customer should walk while at the business premises
- Require that clear signs be posted indicating the maximum number of persons permitted in a store at any given time and limiting the number of customers to one person per sixteen metres squared of floor space open to customers
- Prohibiting the use of containers, reusable bags, or boxes provided by customers
- Regulating the sale of bulk food items to ensure safe handling practices are used
These new measures are not legally mandatory yet. The amended bylaw is expected to be passed at the Langford Council Meeting on April 20, but the city is recommending to adopt these rules before then.
To help support businesses with these bylaw changes, the City of Langford has ordered a supply of floor decals including one-way arrows and physical distancing markers that will be made available for free to businesses. The city can also direct businesses to an installer of plexiglass shields.
The city is requesting that businesses submit any response to these changes to [email protected] by April 20 at noon.
Business could be fined $500 per infraction for those that do not comply with the bylaw, but the City of Langford says it is confident that all businesses will comply voluntarily, and these fines will not have to be issued.
Rebecca Lawrence
