Beginning Saturday morning, all stores in Cullman will be required to limit the number of people who are allowed inside their buildings at one time.

The Cullman City Council passed a resolution during an emergency meeting Friday morning that authorized Mayor Woody Jacobs to issue new orders that require stores to follow new guidelines concerning social distancing, cleaning and sanitation and limiting time in stores. 

The order limits the number of people inside stores to no more than 40 percent of the state fire capacity. The 40 percent capacity limit does not apply to employees. 

It also requires the emergency maximum occupancy to be conspicuously posted at all entrances, and says stores should designate staff to count the number of customers entering and exiting the store to make sure the maximum occupancy does not go over the new emergency limit. 

Stores should also designate employees to monitor social distancing and assist customers, as well as clearly mark six-feet spacing in lines and other high-traffic areas and consider posting signage or using ropes to direct customers and limit bottlenecks. 

Stores will also be required to designate employees to ensure that all cleaning guidelines set by the CDC are being followed, and orders the discontinuation of any self-serve foods and product sampling. 

To limit time in-store and protect the vulnerable members of the population, the order requires stores to set exclusive hours for high-risk populations — including seniors — and stores that are larger than 25,000 square feet are encouraged to offer pickup and delivery options for customers.

The new orders are set to take effect at the beginning of business on Saturday and they will be in effect until they are rescinded by mayoral order. 

City Attorney Roy Williams said the resolution was reviewed by Alabama State Health Officer Scott Harris, and it complies with state laws. 

Jacobs said other cities around the state have implemented similar orders, and some of Cullman’s stores have had too many people in them over last weekend and this week.

Some of those stores had already been in the process of drafting their own rules like the ones that were passed by the city, so this gives them something to follow, he said. 

“The stores themselves had already realized they had a problem,” he said. “We have been in communication with them in drafting this. They’re good, they know it’s coming.” 

Cullman Police Chief Kenny Culpepper said stores had already been given some of the general terms of the rules that were going to be enacted, and officers would be going out to them on Friday with a copy of the resolution so they know exactly what they need to do.

“Everybody that we’ve talked to has been super cooperative,” he said. “They want to help, they want to do what’s safe for their employees and their customers.”