Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the country, made headlines last month when it closed two stores in Long Beach to avoid the local ordinance mandating hazard pay for employees during the ongoing pandemic.

This week it announced that it is closing three more stores, all in Los Angeles, to escape the city’s $5 per-hour hazard pay requirement. The stores affected are two Ralph’s and one Food 4 Less, all owned by Kroger.

“It’s never our desire to close a store, but when you factor in the increased costs of operating during COVID-19, consistent financial losses at these three locations, and an extra pay mandate that will cost nearly $20 million over the next 120 days, it becomes impossible to operate these three stores,” Kroger said in a statement.

Kroger will close the stores on May 15th.

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