In supermarket front lines, Italy's workers fear the worst

The customers push their carts, touch the food and even lick their fingers while riffling through bills. Any one of them could have the virus, and pass it along.

Such are the nagging thoughts of grocery store workers in Italy, exhausted, underprotected and, many say, overly exposed to the coronavirus still spreading throughout the country.

A 48-year-old supermarket cashier who tested positive for coronavirus died in March in Brescia in Italy's hard-hit north.

That raised questions about whether enough was being done to protect workers.

Unions say others employed in the sector may have died without their cases being reported as coronavirus cases. Last week, a 33-year-old supermarket security guard also died of the virus.

Trapped behind checkout counters for hours at a time, or stocking shelves amidst customers on supermarket floors, workers say they are in over their heads, on the front lines and insufficiently protected.

"We're scared of bringing something back home with us," said Piera, a 31-year-old part-time cashier. She has worked for over a decade at a superstore in Novara, west of Milan, the city where the security guard died.

Workers who spoke to AFP asked that their last names not be used. Piera has been given disinfectant gel, gloves, and a mask, which she must wash herself for reuse. It was only last week that the store installed Plexiglass shields in front of each checkout counter.

Grocery workers say many customers don't wear masks or gloves, and continue to shop daily, increasing the chances of passing on infection.

"They're buying stuff that I wouldn't be buying in an emergency," said Chiara, a cashier at a supercenter in Rome, listing "Sushi, Nutella, beer..."
Unions have called for the government to require grocery stores to cut hours in order to relieve the burden on workers. But Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte -- hoping to reduce panic and runs on supermarkets -- promised