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Jersey City grocery stores to set hours just for senior, disabled and pregnant shoppers

Anthony Zurita
NorthJersey.com

Grocery stores in Jersey City will allocate shopping time specifically for elderly, disabled and pregnant shoppers every morning, the city's mayor said, as supermarkets continue to be flooded with concerned residents amid the coronavirus outbreak. 

Mayor Steven Fulop tweeted plans on Monday to set aside hours for those who may be more vulnerable in the midst of the outbreak, which will allocate two hours, from 9 to 11 a.m., for the shoppers who would benefit from less crowded grocery stores. 

Fulop said that the rule will apply to grocery stores that have three or more cash registers and will begin on Tuesday morning. 

"The stores have been receptive," Fulop tweeted, "as this needs to be an effort where we all work together. These are the most vulnerable residents and crowded supermarkets are a challenge for these residents."

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Supermarkets across the country are seeing thousands of people clear the shelves of essential items, especially toilet paper and water. 

The head of New Jersey’s largest supermarket association said Sunday that her members were having trouble meeting the unprecedented demand.

“Many food retailers are pulling from the same suppliers, so there is a strain to the food system,” said Linda M. Doherty, president and CEO of the New Jersey Food Council. “Local grocers are replenishing stock now."

On Monday Fulop announced that non-emergency medical offices in Jersey City, along with bars, gyms and other businesses will close.

Anthony Zurita is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all the major news happening in North Jersey, subscribe here. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Email: zuritaa@northjersey.com Twitter: @AnthonyRZurita