In early March, grocery stores in Central Oregon began taking aggressive measures to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19. Here, Helena Schweigert wipes handles of shopping carts while working a shift at Newport Avenue Market on Thursday, March 12, 2020. The store had increased its cleaning and sanitizing of grocery carts, credit card terminals, counters and registers and other high-use areas at least twice daily.

Newport Avenue Market will open its doors an hour early three days each week to provide a dedicated shopping time for those who are 65 and older in the wake of the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Starting Wednesday, the store will be open at 6 a.m. to provide a special time for people who have compromised immune systems or fragile health and are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. The store will open early on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. All other customers can still shop from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to a statement provided by the Bend-based company.

The employee-owned grocery store is piloting the program in response to a request from the Council on Aging of Central Oregon.

“We are dedicated to safely serving every member of our community,” said Newport Avenue Market CEO Lauren Johnson in a prepared statement.