We write in favor of a requirement that supermarkets restrict the first hour of the day to customers who are 65 years and older. Guidelines direct the elderly to stay at home, and we are doing so. However some trips to grocery stores are necessary for food and other consumables.
In the spirit of the guidelines, we think it would make sense to restrict that first hour of the stores’ days to the elderly.
Our household is a good example of the need. We are in our 70s, distancing rigorously and otherwise managing life satisfactorily. Our shopping needs are curtailed to almost zero store visits, but we have some critical needs for shopping for groceries and other consumables. We have no one who can do that for us.
That first hour for seniors could go a long way toward reducing contagion which will benefit everyone in the effort to slow the virus.
William J. Cronin and Ann Policelli Cronin live in Hartford.
My wife went to the Westport Stop and Shop at 6:45AM. Crowded with older people pushing big shopping carts that interfered with stocking clerks. I went later at about 10:30. Nearly empty. So much for early shopping.
Having seniors shop early sounded like a good idea but it had serious unintended consequences. The store was way overcrowded — checkout lines were very long and the elderly were cheek-by-jowel as they were trying to check out. If one person was carrying the virus all those old people would become infected.
Stop and Shop tried to be helpful — but it has proved to be very dangerous and the yshould stop this program immediately.
Putting all those old people crowded in one space has turned out to be a very bad idea. Nancy Alderman, President Environment and Human Health, Inc.