All Kinney Drugs locations will have acrylic shields installed in the pharmacy drop-off and pick-up areas and at the front registers to protect customers and employees and help stop the spread of coronavirus.

“Just this past Saturday, we put this plan into motion. Here we are, less than one week later, and all 97 stores have them installed. Our construction and merchandising operations teams were nothing short of amazing. They reached out to Small Town Supply ACE Hardware, a long-time neighbor and business partner in Gouverneur. Small Town Supply was able to source all the acrylic from the ACE warehouse in Wilton,” Rebecca Bubel, president of Kinney Drugs said in a prepared statement. “Our team jumped in one of our trucks to pick up the raw materials, then brought it all back to the shop to hand-drill each shield. They were installed less than 48 hours later in all stores in New York and Vermont. It’s pretty incredible.”

Meanwhile, Kinney’s announced they would increase wages by $2 per hour for about 3,200 hourly employees.

“Currently, this temporary increase is planned through the end of April, at which time we will reassess as conditions warrant. The pressure and stress associated with these disruptive times for you and your families, is something your KPH Healthcare Services family would like to support you through,” a news release from Kinney’s said.