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Walmart is cutting hours starting Thursday at stores nationwide, adding senior shopping hour amid coronavirus crisis

Update: Walmart has extended its weekly senior hour until the end of May. It also has reserved a special pickup time for online orders for seniors and those most vulnerable from COVID-19.

Walmart is trimming its hours for the second time in a week due to the coronavirus.

Beginning Thursday, stores will be open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. local time. Stores that open later than 7 a.m. will continue their regular starting hours, Walmart said Wednesday night.

From March 24 through April 28, Walmart's 5,000-plus U.S. stores will host an hour-long senior shopping event every Tuesday for customers 60 and older, which will start one hour before stores open.

In addition to limits on paper products, stores will have limits on milk, eggs, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, water, diapers, wipes, formula and baby food, Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Walmart U.S., wrote in a blog post.

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Coronavirus store closures, changes: See which retailers are closed or changing hours

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Walmart said Thursday it was adding 150,000 new employees and also rewarding current hourly employees with cash bonuses.

Walmart also is temporarily shutting down its Auto Care Centers to "focus on the most critical areas of the store right now," Smith said, adding the auto center employees will focus on stocking and cleaning.

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On March 15, Walmart introduced reduced hours at 24-hour stores across the country, changing the hours to 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Smith said the additional reduction in hours will "further help associates restock the shelves for customers while continuing to clean and sanitize the store."

Walmart's move to designate a time for seniors to shop, follows Target and other grocers, who are acknowledging that older adults and persons with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to COVID-19. Walmart told USA TODAY checking IDs during the weekly senior shopping hour will be at stores' discretion.

Smith said further adjustments could be needed.

"I think every one of us has had to adjust our daily routines in some way, and it’s likely that could continue," Smith wrote. "We are paying very close attention to our stores and communities and will continue making the necessary changes to help make sure our associates are taken care of and that our customers can get what they need."

Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus shopping: Walmart changes hours, announces senior shopping

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