The New Normal tv show poster

The New Normal

A look at life during a pandemic. From the front lines to those in isolation, COVID-19 has affected everyone and behind every door, stories unfold. 

When checkout lines become the front lines

Erin Simmons is a front-end manager at Central Market in Mill Creek, Snohomish County. Daily life at the store has changed since the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition to having new safety measures such as plexiglass at checkout stands and employees sanitizing carts, Simmons says the store's atmosphere feels tenser than before. 

Local supermarkets aren't typically thought of as dangerous places. However, during a pandemic, stores become front lines. Customers continue to shop and people need to eat, casting everyday essential workers like Simmons into cornerstones of society.