These Grocery Stores Have Special Hours So Elderly Folks Can Shop With Less Risk

For our senior population, shopping for food these days has its own particular challenges. Since coronavirus can be particularly dangerous for older people and those that are immunocompromised, it is especially dangerous for them to be out in public and among other people. As grocery stores remain one of the few businesses allowed open in some parts of the U.S. and around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, many have a new challenge in making sure that all of their customers can access the necessary supplies to hunker down at home in a safe way.

As the pandemic roars on, communities are looking for new ways they can help to protect their most vulnerable citizens, and it doesn’t get much simpler and kinder than setting aside a little bit of time for them. So to help them have a safer, cleaner, and less crowded space, many grocery stores around the world are holding special hours just for the elderly, reports Today Food.

Given that most of the news about grocery stores has been about big lines at Costco, toilet paper shortages, and other issues of busyness, senior shopping hours seem like an incredibly important way to make sure that everyone can continue to meet their needs without being in danger. In New York, the small chain DeCicco & Sons posted on their Instagram that, in addition to their delivery service, they are asking everyone to wait an extra half-hour after they open to allow seniors and immunocompromised families to do their shopping first. The stores have just been cleaned first thing in the morning, so that makes it the perfect time to invite the vulnerable communities in for a more peaceful and healthy shop.

Shops in California and St. Louis have followed suit, but it’s not just an American trend: around the world, other stores are setting similar policies, including Woolworths in Australia, and the British chain Iceland. Let’s hope even more stores follow suit and keep some of our most vulnerable a little more safe.

This article originally appeared on Kitchn. See it here: Grocery Stores Around the World Offer Special Hours Just for the Elderly