More Costco Stores Changes: Priority Access For Healthcare Workers, First Responders During Coronavirus Pandemic

Costco (COST) has made shopping for essentials a little easier for healthcare workers and first responders during the coronavirus pandemic. The wholesale retailer is now giving priority entry for these workers into its stores during normal operating hours.

The priority entry applies to all healthcare workers and first responders, such as police officers, EMTs, and firefighters, with a Costco membership and official identification. These individuals will be moved to the front of the line at stores, where customer limits have been introduced to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Costco has enacted a number of initiatives to help customers during the coronavirus crisis, including limiting the number of customers in their stores to two people per membership. The company has also reduced its store hours and added special senior hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Costco is now closing its U.S. stores at 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Its gas stations will open at 6 a.m. daily and close at 7 p.m. on weekdays and 6:30 p.m. on weekends. Stores will also be closed on Easter Sunday.

The company has also placed limits on certain high-demand products and no longer permits returns on items such as toilet paper, bottled water, sanitizing wipes, paper towels, rice, and disinfecting sprays.

Shares of Costco stock were down 1.95% as of 2:06 p.m. EDT on Friday.