Woolworths Has Launched a Dedicated Shopping Hour for the Elderly and People with Disability

If you visited a supermarket on the weekend, you would've encountered mayhem: long lines, empty shelves, people battling over the last packets of beans. Many Australians are panic-buying in case they need to self-isolate because of COVID-19, and it's causing chaos at shops across the country.

To help some of society's more vulnerable groups get the groceries and essentials they need, Woolworths has launched a dedicated shopping hour for the elderly and people with disability.

Running from 7–8am from Tuesday, March 17 to at least Friday, March 20, stores nationwide will open exclusively to concession card-carrying people in these communities. The Woolworths stores will then open to the general public from 8am.

Woolworths says the decision was made after many elderly customers failed to purchase the items they needed. "While we'll continue to do our very best to restock our stores during this period of unprecedented demand, we know many of our elderly customers have been missing out on essential items when they shop," Woolworths Supermarkets Managing Director Claire Peters said in a statement. "This temporary measure will give them, and those with a disability, the opportunity to shop before ​our stores officially open - helping them obtain the ​essential ​items they need most in a less crowded environment."

For now, the dedicated hour is only in place until this Friday, but Woolworths says it will "review opening arrangements" at this point.

If you're unable to leave your house, Deliveroo has just added kitchen and household products to its remit and has implemented a 'no-contact' drop-off service, too.

For more information about Woolworths' dedicated hour for elderly and people with disability, head to the Woolworths website.

To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.