Adjusting to new norms can be difficult with COVID-19 concerns, including how to safely shop for food and necessary items.
Grocery stores are labeled as exempt while the area is under stay-at-home orders.
“We have a hard time because we’re great individuals, but this is not a time to be an individual," said KIngsville mayor Sam Fugate. "This is a time to be to be a part of the whole.”
Fugate signed a local State of Disaster declaration which puts a limit to many members of the same family can be in an essential business at the same time. Only one family member can be in a store at a time.
In Corpus Christi, H-E-B grocery stores are encouraging the same restrictions.
“In all respect, I guess if one person does get sick the whole family will, but I think it keeps the store from getting maybe too compressed with people,” said H-E-B shopper Nancy Garman.
H-E-B staff said having just one member of the family do the shopping means fewer folks inside the store.
This will also make social distancing easier.
“And I tell you what, if we’ll follow the CDC guidelines and do everything that they asked us to do, we’ll beat this," said Fugate. "If we don’t, we’re going to kill a lot of people.”
Kingsville city leaders said with the stay-at-home orders in place, it can be tough to find something to do, but hanging out out the grocery store is not an option.
“It’s not an outing," said City of Kingsville Public Information Officer Janine Reyes. "There isn’t a lot of places that are open because they are essential and it’s for a reason, you know. Everyone needs to work together really to stay apart."