Authorities have designated supermarkets as a necessary exception to the social distancing protocols governing the state’s response to the coronavirus outbreak – but that doesn’t mean shoppers are any less susceptible to infection while buying food. So some grocers are setting aside early morning hours for “vulnerable shoppers” who are at most at risk from COVID-19, the disease associated with the coronavirus. That includes older people and those with compromised immune systems.
The customer restrictions are all voluntary -- no one has said they will turn away younger customers -- so it’s not clear how effective these steps will be in limiting who is shopping or preventing spread of the virus.