Bosky Khanna By Express News Service BENGALURU: Departmental and provision stores in the city are doing their bit to curb the spread of COVID-19 by creating demarcations and enforcing discipline to ensure people maintain social distance and wait patiently in line for their turn. Store owners and managers have kept sanitisers and are asking people to clean their hands before touching items. Some have assigned employees to ensure decorum is maintained, failing which, items are denied to customers. In big stores such as D-Mart, Metro Cash & Carry and even Nilgiri’s in Malleswaram, it is mandatory for customers to wear masks before entering. Even pharmacists are following the same rules. With several home delivery services failing to meet the increasing demand, people are forming massive lines outside stores, resulting in crowding - a real threat to the disease spreading within the community. “I was surprised to see the petty shop near my home open and with markings to demarcate where people should stand. I was also surprised that the police were present to ensure social distancing is maintained,” said Poornima L, a resident of Rajajinagar. In another case, to stop people from crowding outside their establishments, some store owners circulated their phone numbers around the neighbourhood, asking people to place orders via calls and collect their items when ready. “We do not want people to stand in queues. So we gave our phone number to people who regularly visit our store. They call us and place their orders, we keep the bags ready, and we call the customer to collect their items and pay. This way, they also get to know what is available and what is not early on,” said Sudhakar, a store owner in Malleswaram.

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