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Getty What grocery stores will remain open on Easter Sunday 2020?
This year, families across the globe will celebrate Easter in isolation as the world continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, a number of grocery stores are considered essential services and will remain open.
Read on to learn which grocery chains that will remain open and closed this Easter.
Ralph’s
Ralphs announced last week that they would be closing early on Easter Sunday in order to “provide its associates with more time to rest and be with their families.” Operating hours will vary based on location and market, so check in with your local store before heading out.
BJ’s Wholesale Club
All BJ’s clubs will be closed on Easter Sunday.
Costco
Costco will be closed on Easter.
Target
Target will be closed on Easter Sunday.
Safeway
Safeway did not respond to Heavy’s inquiry, however, multiple outlets report that Safeway is generally open on Easter and that individuals should check the hours of their local Safeway before going.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s stores will be closed on Easter Sunday.
Whole Foods
ShopRite
Some ShopRite stores will be closed for the holiday, and others will be running with normal or reduced hours, according to ShopRite media relations.
Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club will be closed on Easter.
Aldi
Aldi is closed on Easter.
Shopping has become increasingly difficult in the age of the coronavirus. Fortunately, health officials have yet to name food as a source of transmission.
That being said, the CDC has confirmed that the virus can live on certain surfaces for hours or even days. Today reports that the best best time to shop is traditionally early in the morning or late at night. However, a number of stores have cut hours, making this tricky.
NBC investigative and consumer correspondent Vicky Nguyen tells Today, “The best times [are] Wednesdays and Thursdays before 10 a.m. [for] the lowest crowds. Weekends are continuing to be the busiest times, so avoid the weekends if you can when going to the grocery store. Independent supermarkets tend to be a little less busy than the big-box stores.”
A number of stores have shopping hours for seniors or those with underlying health conditions. Starting on March 24, Costco implemented twice-weekly senior hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays and later added Wednesdays as the third day. Walgreens has also added senior hours from 8 to 9am on Tuesdays. But even the added senior hours are making experts nervous. Alysa Krain, an infectious disease doctor who specializes in geriatric medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, shares, “Right away, that kind of makes me nervous. It was a good idea in general, but it’s a little bit dangerous if it’s not controlled.”
Bettina Fries, the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Medicine, seconded those concerns, saying, “I hope the scattered shopping hours would lead to seniors being in a store with less people,” she said. “It’s less likely that you will have [a] senior with coronavirus in a store because they’re less likely to be asymptomatic.”
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What Grocery Stores Are Open on Easter Sunday 2020?