U.S. supermarket giant Safeway seeks to hire thousands amid coronavirus panic

Safeway, the Northern California-based grocery store chain, announced Monday that it has launched a mass hiring effort amid the panic shopping unleashed by the coronavirus outbreak.

The supermarket giant said it wants to hire both in-store and delivery workers in response to the increased demand.

"There are more than 2,000 immediate openings at Safeway, Andronico's, Vons, and Pak 'N Save retail stores," the company said in a news release.

The openings are available for stores in Northern California, Western Nevada, and Hawaii.

Some Safeway stores in the Bay Area have reduced business hours "to ensure that product is stocked and available for purchase."

As panicked shoppers began to empty shelves amid virus fears, Californian officials have encouraged people not to hoard food or supplies.