Valley grocery stores operating while using safety measures during COVID-19 outbreak

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Grocery stores are doing their part to try to protect long lines of customers who have been coming in to buy food during the COVID-19 outbreak.

At Trader Joe's in northeast Fresno, they're limiting the number of people who come inside the store to 40.

"It's absolutely a necessity," says Suzanne Taylor. "I'm glad they're doing it. It seems like they're taking it seriously, so that's good."

Everyone else has to line up and wait outside. The shoppers practice social distancing while they wait.

"You know what, it's something that they do as they follow protocol, and that's a good thing," says Kathy Patterson,

Inside the store, every other checkout line is in use. That allows staff to sanitize the counters every hour. Customers appreciated the extra steps taken by Trader Joe's.

"They're jetting in a certain number at a time, which I thought was nice because the store size is impacted, and we're able to still keep some social distance apart for each other, so that was good," says Cindy Ames.

When five people come out, five more are let in. Shopping trips have become more complicated due to COVID 19.

"As long as I know there hasn't been community spread here," says Dana Selvrag. "It's more of individual persons who travel than person to person, so I think it's safer for me to buy something."

At Vons, shoppers were urged not to bring in reusable bags. If they do, they have to bag their own groceries.

Several people told us they resumed shopping on Monday to avoid the large crowds over the weekend.

For more news coverage on the coronavirus and COVID-19 go to abc30.com/coronavirus/.