As communities adapt to the threat of COVID-19, the novel Coronavirus, by limiting social gatherings, encouraging social distancing, and cancelling events, one place where lines and large groups of people still congregate is grocery stores. As community members get the essentials to stay indoors and help flatten the curve, some of the most at-risk members find themselves struggling to do the same without running into large groups of people and lines that prevent them from practicing social distancing.

Safeway stores have stepped up to try to mitigate this problem for at-risk members of the community, reserving specific times at all of their stores for seniors and other at-risk members of the community like pregnant women and immunocompromised members of the community. This allows for a safer shopping experience and gives Safeway the ability to keep the risk of exposure at a minimum while these people get the supplies they need.

These hours are from 7 am to 9 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you do not fall within these parameters, you should plan accordingly and not go to Safeway stores during these times, allowing at-risk members the space they need to safely shop.

Safeway is not the only store addressing the issue of COVID-19 by having specific hours for seniors and immunocompromised individuals. Whole Foods, Target, Wal-Mart, and other local grocery stores around the country have followed suit in an effort to help protect at-risk shoppers from panic buying leaving them vulnerable or without options to purchase.

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