Woolworths will open its doors exclusively to the elderly and people with disabilities for a dedicated shopping hour, after panic buying due to the coronavirus stripped shelves of essentials items.

From Tuesday 17th of March, concession cardholders will have exclusive access from 7am to 8am to buy groceries and other supplies.

All other shoppers will be granted access after 8am.

Panic buying in recent weeks sparked by the spread of COVID-19 in Australia has seen supermarkets stripped of toilet paper, pasta and other dried goods. 

Twitter: Woolworths

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We’re launching a dedicated shopping hour in our stores to help support the needs of the elderly & people with disability in the community. From tomorrow until at least friday, we’ll be opening exclusively for them to shop from 7-8am, where permitted

“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.

"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.”

“We continue to encourage all Australians to be mindful of those in our communities who might need extra help at this time.”

Last week Woolworths announced they had begun working with Meals on Wheels in New South Wales to deliver toilet paper directly to elderly community members.