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Coronavirus: Costco ends special shopping hours for seniors, first responders

Wholesaler Costco, which had introduced special hours for senior citizens and first responders to visit its stores during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced it was ending the special operating hours effective next month.

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In an update posted to its website, Costco said that as of April 18, it will no longer offer special hours for members aged 60 and older, health care workers or first responders. The stores had offered an extra hour in the morning to allow those groups into the store early.

Costco first introduced the special shopping hours in March 2020 to help protect groups deemed most at-risk and vulnerable to COVID-19, USA Today reported. Costco had previously announced plans to eliminate the special hours twice previously, but then changed its decision when COVID-19 infections spiked, USA Today reported.

In a statement, Costco told WKYC that anyone who felt uncomfortable shopping during normal business hours could use Costco.com to order anything the store carries for delivery.