Latest Updates Regarding COVID-19

(last update 2/15/2022)

Current Store Hours

Shopping hours: Mon-Sun 7am — 9pm

Latest Update 2-15-2022 Update

In accordance with Humboldt County and California State guidelines, the Co-op will no longer be requiring masks for vaccinated customers and staff effective Wednesday, February 16th. Proof of vaccination will not be required to shop without a mask. We will instead be using the honor system and trusting that customers shopping without a mask are fully vaccinated. 

For more information, please visit the California Department of Public Health's page on Guidance for the Use of Face Masks.

Current Store Policies

Store Hours 

• Store hours are 7AM - 9PM.  

In order to ensure the safety to our staff and customers, we ask that all shoppers do their part to limit the transmission of infection by socially distancing from others, and exercising proper hand hygiene, coughing and sneezing practices.

We highly value the well-being of our Co-op community members and appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Older Updates:

Facial Coverings

All persons must wear a facial covering before entering the Co-op, unless specifically exempt under California Department of Public Health guidelines (listed below).From the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) – Guidance for the Use of Facial Coverings (updated 11/16/20): 

The following individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings at all times: 

• Persons younger than two years old. These very young children must not wear a face covering because of the risk of suffocation. 
• Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering. This includes persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a face covering could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a face covering without assistance. Such conditions are rare. 
• Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication. 

For any individuals who fall under these exemptions, reasonable accommodation must be made to allow them to continue shopping, including offering mask alternatives such as facial shields with bib, or shopping services.  

If a customer is accompanied by a child with a physical or developmental disability, or medical condition that makes them incapable of wearing a facial covering, the child will be permitted to remain in the store without a facial covering. 

Acceptable facial coverings 

• Must be hands free.  
• Includes multiple layers 
• Must be free of holes 
• Fully covers mouth and nose 
• Must remain on while shopping 

Unacceptable facial coverings 

• Non mask-style items such as bags 
• Exposed nose 
• Pulling shirt over face 
• Hand-held face coverings. 

The CDC does not currently recommend use of face shields as a substitute for masks. However, shields with a cloth bib tucked into the collar of a shirt is an acceptable form of facial covering. 

A Message From Our General Manager:

In accordance with County, State, and CDC guidelines, the Co-op will no longer be requiring masks for fully vaccinated customers and employees effective June 15th. Proof of vaccination will not be required to shop without a mask. We will instead be using the honor system and trusting that customers shopping without a mask are fully vaccinated. 

The year of the pandemic has been one of constant change and has required the need to continually adapt to new circumstances. Thank you to everyone for your part in adapting to these changes and keeping our community healthy and safe throughout. We remain optimistic about the direction that we are heading and look forward to a gradual return to normal. 

In cooperation,

Sean Nolan, General Manager

Update 4/27/2021

Unfortunately, we have received notification that one of our staff members has tested positive for COVID-19. This staff member last worked on Friday, April 9, and had minimal close interaction with other staff and customers. We have notified our staff of the infection and are in communication with the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services to determine any necessary contact tracing. We are following all recommended guidelines from DHHS and the CDC.

Our Eureka store will continue to be open for business 7am to 9pm. We will continue to maintain the highest level of safety and sanitation practices that we are known for. As always, we will make public updates as we learn new information.

Update 2/24/2021

Unfortunately, we have received notification that one of our staff members has tested positive for COVID-19. This staff member last worked in our Eureka location on Sunday, February 21. We have notified our staff of the infection and are in communication with the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services to determine any necessary contact tracing. We are following all recommended guidelines from DHHS and the CDC.

Our Eureka store will continue to be open for business 7am to 9pm. We will continue to maintain the highest level of safety and sanitation practices that we are known for. As always, we will make public updates as we learn new information.

Update 1/6/2021

Today we learned that one of our staff members has tested positive for COVID-19. We have notified our staff of the infection and are working closely with the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services to determine any necessary contact tracing. We are following all recommended guidelines from DHHS and the CDC.

This staff member last worked in our Eureka location on Friday, January 1. We have sufficient reason to believe that this employee did not have any prolonged contact with customers on that day. This employee is currently under quarantine at home, and we wish them a swift recovery and return to work.

Our Eureka store will continue to be open for business 7am to 9pm. We will continue to maintain the highest level of safety and sanitation practices that we are known for. As always, we will make public updates as we learn new information. 

Update 8/24/2020

To further accommodate our customers' needs while maintaining safe working and shopping conditions, we will be making the following two small, but notable changes to our COVID-19 response policies:

Return Policy

We will once again offer refunds on products which are spoiled, damaged, or otherwise compromised. We can issue refunds for these items but should ask that customers dispose of them and that returned goods are not handled by employees.

Reusable Bag Policy

While we still ask that customers do not use the main bagging counter when bagging groceries with reusable bags, customers may now utilize the pull-out bagging counter below.

Update 6/25/2020

Extended Hours

Beginning Sunday, June 28th, we will be extending our operating hours to 7am to 9pm. The first two hours of operation will continue to have a reduced maximum capacity of 20 shoppers in the store at a time.

Update 6/15/2020

We will be making changes to our reserved shopping hours starting next week. Beginning Monday, June 22, our 7am to 9am hours will be open to all shoppers—with a max capacity of 20 people in the store at a time. At 9 am, the max limit will be increased to 35 for the rest of our operating hours.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our top priority has been to ensure the safety of our staff and shoppers. The reservation of morning hours for our vulnerable shoppers was an immediate response to the rapidly evolving emergency situation, with our goal being to give those vulnerable community members the opportunity to shop at a time when our stores are the cleanest and least impacted. As we have settled into these new operating hours, we have found that we tend to have only a few shoppers during the reserved hours, while at the same time, having to turn people away or have lines gather outside our stores until public hours begin at 9am. These changes aim preserve the safe shopping environment while still alleviating the need to turn people away or the forming of unnecessary lines.

Our senior discount will continue be available every day from 7am to 9am, and all day on Tuesdays.

As the pandemic persists, we will continue to regularly assess our policies and make necessary changes to ensure that we all get through this together.

Update 5/12/2020

We are once again allowing the use of reusable shopping bags! Shoppers may now use bags they have brought from home after checkout. We will be operating under guidelines provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and ask that shoppers using their own bags:

- Bag their own groceries

- Leave their bags in their cart while bagging

-Refrain from placing unpurchased items in bags while shopping

To ensure their health and safety, our staff will not be handling any personal bags.

Update 4/29/2020

We are now accepting special orders again for most products! Several high-demand products are still unable to be special ordered. Those items include:

Active yeast
Aloe gel
Bleach 
Beans, bulked or canned
Canned tomatoes
Cleaning products
Facial tissue
Flour
Napkins
Paper towels
Pasta
Rice
Rubbing alcohol
Sanitizer
Toilet paper
Wipes
Any other item on our limited items list (see below)

All special orders will be subject to availability. Orders for items that are long-term out of stock will need to be resubmitted after a two-week period. 

Update 4/23/2020

In order to remain in compliance with the new county ordinance requiring members of the public to wear facial coverings while in public indoor spaces, we will be requiring all shoppers who intend to enter our stores to wear facial coverings.

The Humboldt County ordinance defines facial coverings as:

"...any fabric or cloth that covers the mouth and nose without holes. The facial covering can be made using household items (including scarves, bandanas, tshirts, sweatshirts, towels, turtlenecks, or other fabric), can be sewn by hand, or factorymade."

Children under 2 years old are not required to wear face coverings. 

The new county ordinance will be effective April 24th. 

The full details of the ordinance can be viewed here.

Further guidance on facial coverings can be found here: 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Face-Coverings-Guidance.aspx 

We will continue to work hard to make the Co-op the safest it can be for our staff, members and shoppers. We once again thank everyone for their understanding and patience.

Update 4/17/2020

For those in need of assistance with shopping during this shelter-in-place, please contact our partners at Cooperation Humboldt. They have been running errands and delivering supplies for self-isolating community members, making DIY hand sanitizer/cleaning supplies and DIY face masks and mobilizing a mental health team to assist those struggling with isolation. También hablan español.

For more information, please visit https://cooperationhumboldt.com/covid-response/

Update 4/4/2020

Changes to Senior Shopping Hour

Beginning Monday, April 6th, we will be extending our Senior Shopping hour to include both pregnant and immunocompromised shoppers. This special shopping time is also being extended until 9am. The new designated shopping time for senior, pregnant, and immunocompromised shoppers will be 7am to 9am, daily.

Update 4/1/2020

Extended Senior Hours and Discounts

Our senior discount will now be available every day, 7am to 8am, as well as all day on Tuesdays. We hope that this will help to diffuse the traffic of Senior Day and allow our senior shoppers to still receive a discount while avoiding crowds.

Bulk Bin Handling

Given recently updated shelter-in-place guidelines from local health authorities, shoppers will no longer be able to self-serve from bulk bins requiring the use of a scoop. We ask that all shoppers please refrain from handling these bulk bins and to please ask a staff member for assistance in collecting bulk items.

Update 3/23/2020

No Shopping Bags From Home

Based on feedback from our customers and staff, and out of a desire to take all possible precautions at this time, we will be no longer be allowing the use of personal shopping bags by customers. This includes both shopping bags and produce bags. We, once again, thank all of our shoppers for their understanding and cooperation.

Update 3/23/2020

Shopper Limit Increase

In order to serve more customers and reduce waiting times, we are increasing the number of shoppers allowed in the store to 35 at one time. We will be closely monitoring the shopping patterns to ensure that the limits still provide for ample space for everyone in the store. We ask that all shoppers please continue to do their part in preventing the spread of infection by maintaining a respectful distance from others, and exercising proper hand hygiene, coughing and sneezing practices. We thank all our members and shoppers for your continued patience and understanding.

Update 3/19/2020

Humboldt County has officially issued a Shelter-In-Place ordinance to begin at midnight tonight and last through at least April 9th, which mandates that residents only leave home for essential needs. As this does include shopping for groceries, North Coast Co-op will remain open for business. However, in coordination with this effort to reduce risk of infection within our community, we will be further modifying our policies to limit exposure to both staff and shoppers. All changes go into effect Friday, March 20, and remain in effect until further notice. Please take time to review the following:

Limited Entry

We will be limiting entry into both stores to no more than 20 customers at one time. This will be a rolling 20—when one customer leaves, another may enter. 

Only the front doors of each store will remain open. There will be a staff member monitoring customer entry and exit. 

We will continue to have Senior Shopping Hour, from 7AM - 8AM, but will be enforcing the new 20 person limit. 

Register Lane Modification

Lanes will be open in alternating intervals, leaving one register between to increase distance between lines. Lines at the registers will be taped off with orange tape, designating waiting spaces with 6 feet of distance between them.

Lines for customers waiting outside will also be designated to prevent crowding.

Product Limits

To ensure that the limited supply we have available can be equitably distributed, we will be placing limits to certain staple products. Product limits are listed below. Note that limit numbers are in units sold (Ex: one four-pack of bathroom tissue is 1 unit, not 4 units), and that the limit is per transaction, not per customer.

Paper Towels

• 3 Pack — 1

• Single roll — 2

Bathroom Tissues 

• 12 Pack — 1

• 4 Pack — 1

• Single roll — 2

Baby Wipes — 2
Hand Sanitizer — 2
Sanitizing Wipes — 2
Aloe Vera Gel — 2
Aloe Vera Gallon — 1
Canned Beans — 4
Rubbing Alcohol — 1
Peroxide — 2
Ground Beef — 10 lb
Bulk Rice — 10 lb
Bulk Beans — 10 lb

Temporary Changes to Store Policy

In response to COVID-19, we are making the following temporary changes to our store policies and procedures:

• Returns will not be accepted for items taken outside the store.
• We are no longer allowing the use of reusable containers brought from home, excluding containers intended for water and non-food items. 
• Shoppers that bring their own bags must bag their own groceries.
• Public tables and chairs will be unavailable for use.
• Self-serve food and drink stations will be unavailable.
• Special orders and case discounts will be unavailable.
• We will no longer be accepting bottle returns from customers.

In order to ensure the safety to our staff and customers, we ask that all shoppers do their part to limit the transmission of illness by exercising proper hand hygiene as well as coughing and sneezing practices.

We highly value the well-being of our Co-op community members and appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Co-op Statement on Current COVID-19 Situation (3/16/2020)

Dear Member-Owners and Shoppers,

We would like to take a moment to address our Co-op community regarding the developing events surrounding COVID-19.

The health and wellness of our community members is our highest priority and we intend to continue to follow the best practices recommended by the Center for Disease Control and our local health partners. Rest assured that food handling processes will be practiced at the highest standards and the sanitation of surfaces has been increased in order to maintain the cleanest environment for our customers.

During these times of extra precaution, we are instructing any Co-op staff that are experiencing cold or flu symptoms to stay home. An increase in call-outs may result in lower staff numbers, so we ask that all shoppers to please bear with the changing situation and know that our present staff is working extra hard to ensure we meet all of our customers’ needs.

We ask that all Co-op shoppers do their part in preventing the spread of illness by also exercising proper hand hygiene as well as coughing and sneezing practices. Hand wipe stations have been made available at store entrances.

As a health precaution, we are temporarily pausing the in-store use of reusable cups and other durable containers brought from home. This includes but is not limited to all prepared foods service cases, beverage and food bars, and both our Bulk and Meat departments. All self-serve food stations will be closed. Sampling from the Deli and Bakery as well as in-store demos are also suspended.

Given the sudden increase in demand for some products, supply has tightened, and some products may be unavailable. We are doing our best to keep items in stock, working to find alternate sources when available. We understand that manufacturers are trying to replenish inventories as quickly as possible.

During this time of increased sanitation awareness and practice, we will not be accepting product returns. This is for the safety of all our shoppers and staff as we cannot know where items taken outside the store have been contaminated.

North Coast Co-op is committed to the health and safety of our community and we are ready to dynamically respond to the changing situation. As the situation progresses, we will continue to give updates through our website, social media and emailing lists. We thank all our members and shoppers for your cooperation and understanding.

In Cooperation,
Sean Nolan
General Manager