TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Effectively immediately, the Tinker Air Force Base Commissary and Exchange will now be requiring all customers to wear face coverings before entering in an effort to keep members of Team Tinker healthy in the face of COVID-19.
The Defense Commissary Agency has mandated that Commissaries and Exchanges worldwide follow this guidance.
“We’ve received a memorandum from the installation that it’s mandatory for all customers coming into the store to wear a mask,” said Divina Francesconi, Commissary deputy. “If they don’t, they can’t enter the store.”
Employees and vendors will also be required to wear face masks on the sales floor as well. The commissary agency is purchasing masks and gloves through the commercial supply system that will be made available to employees.
Acceptable types of face coverings include masks, scarfs, bandanas, clean t-shirts or cloths to cover the nose and mouth.
This guidance falls in line with the Department of Defense’s mandate on April 5 that all individuals on DoD property, installations and facilities must wear cloth face coverings when they cannot maintain six feet of social distance in public areas or work centers.
In addition to requiring face coverings for employees and customers, Commissaries have implemented other operational policies to make stores safer during the COVID-19 pandemic including:
* Installing clear, acrylic sneeze shields in all regular checkout lanes to add extra protection for customers and cashiers.
* Personnel wiping down checkout areas, product display cases, restrooms and shopping carts with disinfectant, and practicing routine hand washing and other basic sanitation measures to reduce transmission risk.
* Hand sanitizer being provided at each register and staff are encouraged to use it at the end of each patron transaction.
* Encouraging employees to closely monitor their health, and asking them to stay home if they, or someone in their household, are sick.
* Stores working with their installations to implement procedures regarding social distancing.
* A "no visitors" policy was instituted to reduce the number of people in the stores.
* Suspending early bird hours to allow stores more time to clean and restock the store.
* Not allowing patrons to bring reusable bags into the commissary to help reduce the risk of virus.
* Cashiers no longer handling patron ID cards. Instead, customers will be asked to scan their own ID or cashiers can use the handheld scanner if available.
* Encouraging the use of credit or debit transactions to limit the use of cash and coins.
* Local commissaries working closely with the public health assets on the installation to monitor transmission risk related to staff and patrons.
* Temporarily suspending the requirement to sign credit card receipts to prevent multi patron handling of the credit card reader pen.
“Please be patient. We’re doing everything we can to protect our employees, customers and everyone who enters the facility,” said Deborah Dickerson, Commissary manager. “We have to follow base regulations as well as DECA regulations.”
DECA regulations can be found at https://www.commissaries.com/our-agency/newsroom/news-releases/deca-guidance-requires-employees-customers-have-face-covering
The Tinker Commissary will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30-10 a.m. for active duty, dependents, eligible first responders and mobility assisted patrons only. They will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday for all ID card holders, retirees and veterans with health identification cards and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.