Stores closed on Easter: Target, Costco among chains closed on Sunday holiday

How people are celebrating Easter during a pandemic

For people still keen on finding their Easter eggs, social distancing is taking the hunt online.

Several major retail franchises, including Target and Costco, are planning to close their doors on Easter Sunday.

But last-minute shoppers need not worry: Many other stores will remain open with varying hours.

FILE - Side-by-side collage of Target storefront and Costco Wholesale storefront. (Target & Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Here is a list of some of the major retail stores that will be open on April 4:

Walmart

Trader Joe’s

Duane Reade/Walgreens

Albertsons/Safeway

BJ’s (Closing hours may vary by location)

CVS

Kmart/Sears

Kroger

RiteAid

ShopRite

Whole Foods

The Giant Food Company (Opened until 3 p.m.)

These major retailers will be closed on Easter Sunday:

Aldi (Some locations may open with varying hours)

Best Buy

Costco

Publix

Lowe’s

Target

Many of the stores that will be closed on Easter Sunday have been deemed essential businesses amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but employees of the shuttered franchises will receive a much-needed day off come April 4.

At the onset of the pandemic, many non-essential businesses were shuttered to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, with only a handful of large franchises staying open to provide people with essential items such as food, cleaning supplies and medicine.

Now, as vaccinations start to ramp up, the United States is becoming cautiously optimistic, with several states relaxing preventative health measures. Still, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, said Wednesday he isn’t ready to declare victory.

"I'm often asked, are we turning the corner?" Fauci said at a White House briefing. "My response is really more like we are at the corner. Whether or not we're going to be turning that corner still remains to be seen."

What's giving Fauci pause, he said, is that new cases remain at a stubbornly high level, at more than 50,000 per day. Public health experts in the U.S. are taking every opportunity to warn that relaxing social distancing and other preventive measures could easily lead to another surge.

Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, sees red flags in states lifting mask mandates, air travel roaring back and spring break crowds partying out of control in Florida.

"We’re getting closer to the exit ramp," Topol said. "All we’re doing by having reopenings is jeopardizing our shot to get, finally, for the first time in the American pandemic, containment of the virus."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.