May 18. Publix ​in Cornelius ​has stopped offering senior hours during the COVID-19 pandemic. ​The Magnolia Plaza store ​will be open daily from 7 ​am to 9 pm and ​the ​pharmacy will return to normal operating hours.

Designated shopping hours for customers over the age of 65​ are still in effect at Harris Teeter Monday and Thursday from 6 am to 8 am and at Food Lion 7 am to 8 am Monday and Wednesday.

At Fresh Market, senior shopping hours are from 8 am to 9 am every day. (Don’t worry about arriving a few minutes early; they will let you in.)

Those over the age of 65 are much more likely to die after contracting COVID-19.

The shopping experience at local grocery stores is a toss-up. All personnel were wearing face masks at Fresh Market, Publix and Harris Teeter over the weekend, but not at Food Lion.

On days we visited Food Lion, Harris Teeter and Publix, many shoppers were not wearing face masks. At Fresh Market most were wearing face masks.

Publix and Food Lion have clearly marked aisles for one-directional shopping. Harris Teeter on Old Jetton does not.

Phase Two of reopening, which would allow North Carolina restaurants, hair salons, barber shops and gyms to open at reduced capacity, is expected to being May 22—depending on Phase One going well.

It’s not totally clear at this point what will happen, but there are more consistent leveling trends coming from the NC Dept. of Health & Human Services.

Stability in trends like COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths is a positive when it comes to reopening.

“While we remain on a good path for the 14-day trends we need to see to move to Phase 2, our progress as a state is still dependent on our individual actions,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director/secretary of NCDHHS. More positive cases will likely be reported as testing increases.

“We need to continue to protect our loved ones and our neighbors,” she said, advising everyone to wear face coverings.