The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority has cut off April food deliveries from the area’s largest food bank, Feed More, to needy families in public housing communities.

The cutoff started last week after RRHA found that food deliverers were not wearing masks and other protective items or adhering to social distancing guidelines — keeping a 6-foot distance from other people.

“RRHA is taking every precaution for the safety of our residents,” spokeswoman Angela Fountain stated. “This is our top concern when food distribution to those in need is concerned. “The decision to discontinue Feed More’s food deliveries in April was not made lightly,” she continued, “and was only made after it was determined in discussions with our Feed More partners that the social dis- tancing protocols could not be met and those delivering the food and breaking down the boxes did not have appropriate protective gear.”

Ms. Fountain expressed hope that the deliveries could resume in some fashion. RRHA is in “ongoing discus- sions with Feed More to determine the safest and most efficient way to perform upcoming scheduled food deliveries,” she said, although she noted that no link has been shown between Feed More’s deliveries and people getting coronavirus.

Feed More CEO Doug Pick said deliveries of food to RRHA communities have been going on for four years “to provide healthy food to those in need in the communities they serve.”

However, he stated that Feed More has accepted RRHA’s decision and “looks forward to supporting RRHA when they resume their distributions.”