coronavirus

Texas House Speaker Challenges Large Retailers to Protect Customers, Employees

Dennis Bonnen KXAN 111418
KXAN

The Texas Speaker of the House took to Twitter Monday to challenge national retailers to take more steps to protect their customers and employees.

State Rep. Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton) was in a large retailer Monday morning, where he noticed staff without face coverings and not adhering to social distancing guidelines, according to his tweets.

The "behemoth retailers" continue to make money without regard for employees and customers, the Speaker wrote.

"I'm tired of navigating a germ pool in an overcrowded Lowe's, Home Depot, and WalMart," Bonnen wrote. "They haven't dealt with the devastation of having to turn customers away and yet their behavior might be what keeps hair salons and gyms closed and restaurants at restricted capacity."

A Home Depot spokesperson said stores have limited the number of people inside at one time and have canceled major spring promotions in an effort not to drive unnecessary traffic to stores.

"We've also expanded curbside pickup, implemented signage, floor markings, plexiglass shields at checkout and service counters, social distancing captains and PA announcements," the Home Depot spokesperson said. "All stores are closing early so they can focus on cleaning and sanitation and we're providing non-medical masks and gloves to all associates in stores and distribution centers."

For more on Home Depot's response to COVID-19, click here.

A Walmart spokesperson said the company's stores have implemented cleaning and santizing protocols with help from the Centers for Disease Control and Walmart's chief medical officer.

The store has also nstalled plexiglass barriers at checkout lanes and pharmacy areas, installed floor decals at the entrances and in checkout lanes, implemented one-way aisles to reduce customer interaction with each other and reduced physical contact with "no touch" transactions.

For more on Walmart's response to COVID-19, click here.

NBC 5 reached out to Lowe's and had not heard back Monday night.

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