Donald Trump Weighs in on Target's Proactive Measures for Customers Amid Coronavirus Concerns

President Donald Trump is praising Target for the proactive measures the retailer is taking to protect customers and employees amid the coronavirus pandemic. After Target revealed that it would be implementing "senior hours" and restructuring hours to allow employees to sanitize and restock stores nationwide, Trump on Wednesday applauded the move.

Thank you to our great American businesses for going above and beyond to keep our most vulnerable citizens safe! https://t.co/BlV0E4r5IB

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2020

Just days after Target CEO Brian Cornell joined the president and other CEO's of major retailers like Walmart and Walgreens during a Friday press conference, during which Trump officially declared a national emergency, Cornell on Tuesday outlined what precautionary steps Target would be taking. On Wednesday, the retailer began reserving the first hour of operations for "vulnerable guests." The retailer is also closing all stores at 9 p.m. local time to "replenish and deeply clean."

"Families are counting on Target for critical supplies during this challenging time, and we'll continue to do all that we can to keep our stores open," Cornell said in a statement, according to Fox 8. "For weeks, we've been responding to the impact of the coronavirus by taking care of our team, rigorously cleaning our stores and helping our guests find the food, medicine and other essentials they need for themselves and their families."

"As our team continues to adapt to the country's fast-changing needs, we're announcing plans to reduce our store hours and offer dedicated shopping hours for vulnerable guests," the statement added. "We'll also maintain limits on select products and would ask guests to purchase only what they need so there's enough supply to accommodate this increased demand."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older adults, pregnant women, and those with underlying health conditions are the most at-risk amid the coronavirus pandemic.

As such, a number of grocery stores and retailers across the nation have begun implementing specialized hours for the most vulnerable groups, allowing them the ability to shop in a less crowded environment and therefore allowing them to more easily practice the recommended social distancing.

As of Thursday morning, at least 8,317 people had tested positive for coronavirus in the United States and at least 147 people have died, according to a New York Times database. The coronavirus is now affecting all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories.