Grocer offers special hour for at-risk residents

Zanotto’s markets open 8 to 9 a.m. for residents 60 and over

SUNNYVALE » A Bay Area grocer is extending a helping hand to one of the groups most at risk from the novel coronavirus.

Beginning Tuesday, Zanotto’s Family Markets in San Jose and Sunnyvale opened from 8 to 9 a.m. exclusively for those 60 and older.

“Everything will have just been cleaned, stores will be less crowded,” the grocer said in a Facebook post. “This hour is for you.”

Stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for all others and close early each day “to allow our team to meet the significant increase in restocking, cleaning and preparation work,” the grocer said.

The virus, which causes the disease known as COVID-19, poses a greater risk to older people. So far, four people have died of the respiratory disease in Santa Clara County — a man in his 50s, a woman in her 60s with chronic health conditions, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 80s.

In a Facebook post of its own, the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety thanked the grocer.

“Thank you for helping our vulnerable community members, Zanotto’s Family Markets,” the department said.

Dollar General stores announced a similar program — though it isn’t banning younger shoppers from its stores during its senior customer shopping hour during the first hour of operation each day.

“Dollar General wants to provide these at-risk customers with the ability to purchase the items they need and want at the beginning of each day to avoid busier and more crowded shopping periods,” the company said in a statement.

“Other customers are encouraged to plan their shopping trips around this window of time to allow the most susceptible customers in our communities the ability to shop during the first hour that stores are open.”