New rules to ensure safety at grocery stores will take effect this morning.

The Bermuda Chamber of Commerce announced that the Government had implemented safety measures to keep residents safe amid the Covid-19 global health crisis.

It announced four rules that would begin at 7am.

The chamber said: “Grocery stores will support and continue to reinforce reasonable shopping quantities to shoppers.

“Mass purchases will be strongly discouraged.”

A designated time for shopping by seniors, considered to be a person aged 65 or older, will also be set aside from when the stores open until 9am on Tuesdays and Fridays.

A maximum of 50 shoppers will be allowed into a grocery store at any given time to promote social distancing.

The chamber added: “Depending on square footage, this may be less than 50.”

Grocery stores will also be required to provide “available health protections” for all workers and customers.

The chamber said the steps were being taken for “the health and safety of the public and also grocery store employees”.

It added: “They are not, in an way, related to a shortage of supplies or products.

“Now that there have been confirmed cases of coronavirus in Bermuda, we are stepping up some of our policies and protections for team members and customers and we wanted to take the time to share these with you.

A spokeswoman for Lindo’s said it had hired Bermuda Security Agency to enforce a “one in, one out” policy to keep the number of customers inside the law.

She added: “We ask that our customers move as quickly and efficiently through the store as possible, showing compassion for other members of the public waiting to get in.

“While queuing and in the store, customers are asked to maintain a distance of at least one metre from each other in order to comply with social distancing measures.”

The spokeswoman said a 5 per cent discount scheme would be available during seniors’ shopping hours.

She added: “Customers will need to present a valid ID that shows their date of birth at the door and we ask that younger customers respect this time designated for our seniors and shop outside of these four hours.

Staff at the stores have been given gloves and facemasks in addition to the hand sanitiser and wipes issued earlier.