McDonald's Corp, said on Thursday it would hire about 260,000 restaurant staff in the United States this summer, as stores reopen for diners after serving them through delivery, drive-thru and takeaway for weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this week, the burger chain said its U.S. sales fell in April and May due to the health crisis, but signaled a recovery in demand as it restarts dine-in.

Several U.S. states have lifted restrictions that were imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, drawing long queues outside stores.

McDonald's (MCD), which owns about 14,000 restaurants in the United States, hires thousands of restaurant employees every summer across the country, drawing several high-school and college students for the job.

Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's USA, said on Thursday the company has also put nearly 50 new safety procedures in place.