While most of us are safe at home during the Covid-19 pandemic, essential workers put their lives at risk to keep Bermuda going.

The Royal Gazette salutes these selfless men and women in hospitals, supermarkets, delivery vans, gas stations and other key services with our new series

Two pharmacy cashiers put their money where their mouth is every day as they step up to their cash tills despite the risk of Covid-19.

Wendy Fubler and Rebecca Burgess, cashiers and merchandisers at the Phoenix Stores, said they were on the front line of the battle against the coronavirus.

Despite the risks involved, the two staff members at the Reid Street, Hamilton, store insisted they took great pleasure from giving an essential service to the public when needed most.

Mrs Fubler said: “All pharmacies are required to be open and it feels special because I’m giving back to my community by risking my life to be at work to serve the public.

“I love helping out my community. I have always looked out for others. It’s in my nature I guess.”

The mother of two added that she had to be extra careful because, as an asthmatic, she is in a high-risk group.

Mrs Fubler explained: “I’m taking all the proper precautions and my doctor’s orders. I take my vitamins, eat better and exercise.”

Mrs Burgess said: “We are all at risk, but take proper precautions and do what is required of us as the frontline workers — wear masks, gloves and practise social-distancing.

“I wash my hands and use hand sanitiser and I’m constantly wiping down the counters and making customers sanitise.”

Mrs Fubler added that the praise that she and her co workers get from the public for sticking to their vital jobs was inspiring.

She said: “We get a good bit of support from customers that are truly concerned for us. They tell us all the time.

“People inspire us and show us their true concern by giving us positive energy daily, which reminds us why we come to work and it helps us push on through.”

However, she added that not all customers were prepared to stick to the strict Covid-19 pandemic regulations.

Mrs Burgess said: “The sad thing is, we get a good number of customers that surely don’t want to abide by the rules.

“They come in knowing that they have to wear a mask and have an attitude as soon as you say anything to them.”

Mrs Fubler added: “We as frontline essential workers go through so much more that people won’t believe and I’m representing all of them.

“I have seen so many times where we are trying to help or explain things to people and they curse us out.

“We do not go to work for people to be rude, disrespectful and to be verbally abused.

“There is not a day that goes by when this doesn’t happen to any one of us.”

Mrs Fubler said: “We take it. But at the end of the day it isn’t right.”

Mrs Fubler said members of the public should do whatever is needed to combat the spread of Covid-19.

She added: “We are all in this pandemic together, so let’s just follow the guidelines by protecting ourselves and doing what’s required.

Mrs Fubler told the country: “Bermuda, stay safe and if you have to go out, wear a mask and be nice and respectful to all essential workers.

“It is not easy, but we do it.”

• If you know a hero on the front line who should feature in our series, e-mail news@royalgazette.com