Maryland County Seeks to Limit Shopping Trips
Health officials say consumers should go to c-stores, grocery stores based on their last names.
Apr 17, 2020 | 2 min read
PRINCE FREDERICK, Md.—The Calvert County Health Department has issued recommendations asking residents to voluntarily shop at convenience stores and grocery story every five days based on their last name, FOX 5 DC reports. The department said the voluntary recommendation would limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The plan would allow for residents to shop once every five days based on the following schedule:
- Last names starting with A-C shop on dates ending with 0 and 5
- Last names starting with D-G shop on dates ending with 1 and 6
- Last names starting with H-L shop on dates ending with 2 and 7
- Last names starting with M-R shop on dates ending with 3 and 8
- Last names starting with S-Z shop on dates ending with 4 and 9
Last month, a New Jersey mayor attempted to limit grocery shopping based on last names, but the state’s attorney general quashed that plan, NJ.com reports. Garwood Mayor Sara Todisco had issued a declaration of emergency that included restrictions on shopping at the town’s two supermarkets based on last names. Her plan would have allowed residents with the last names starting with A through M to shop on even-numbered days and those with last names N through Z on odd-numbered days.
“They were asking that I revise the emergency declaration to not cover grocery stores. They want uniformity among the towns in the state,” she said after receiving a phone call from New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who expressed concerns about her idea. Todisco subsequently scrapped the plan.
NACS has compiled resources to help the convenience retail community navigate the COVID-19 crisis. For news updates and guidance, visit our coronavirus resources page.
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