Coronavirus fears spark a run on SLO County stores. Here’s what’s missing from shelves
San Luis Obispo County has no confirmed cases of coronavirus, but you wouldn’t know it taking a stroll through local food and drug stores.
Worried shoppers across the county have picked shelves clean of a variety of products including masks, hand sanitizers, antibacterial wipes, toilet paper, bottled water and even some non-perishable foods. All were among the items in short supply or completely sold out at multiple stores on Monday.
“It’s been harder to find a lot of paper goods, wipes, sanitizers and some of the non-perishables,” said SLO resident Jeanette Guess while searching for hand wipes at the CVS at the Laguna Plaza shopping center. “A lot of stores are really low on things like ramen and Campbell’s soup. I’m looking around for disinfectant wipes today.”
The shopping spree came as the total number of coronavirus cases topped 113,000 worldwide, including more than 3,900 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
“It’s only a matter of time before our county has a case as well,” SLO County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said Monday in a lengthy news release that outlined advice on how residents should prepare for what now seems like the inevitable.
In preparation, Public Health is urging local organizations to consider ways to reduce close contact through social distancing, while also offering guidelines for higher-risk people over the age of 60 or with serious chronic health conditions.
“The public should take precautions now,” the department said, while simultaneously imploring residents to stay calm.
“While this new disease is of concern to everyone and especially older persons and those who suffer from certain chronic diseases, there is no need for panic,” the department said. “We are not recommending the use of masks; there is no need to stockpile household goods beyond the usual recommendation of a three-day supply for any type of emergency; and we are not recommending cancellation of school or any events at this time.”
SLO County stores low on some items
That message may have come a little late for some local residents, who have snatched up a variety of household items in recent days.
On Monday, CVS was out of masks, and its shelves for hand sanitizer shelves were bare as well. Shoppers experienced similar shortages at the Atascadero CVS.
At the nearby Costco in SLO, shoppers struck out on toilet paper (with expected supplies coming by Wednesday), bottled water and Clorox disinfecting wipes.
“Due to the increased sales of personal care items and non-perishable food, we are currently out of stock on many items,” Costco noted on its website. “We are working diligently with our suppliers to get restocked. In addition, you may experience items being out of stock on online delivery orders previously placed. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Toilet paper was particularly popular at Costco. An area usually filled with pallets of multi-packs was completely bare.
Over the weekend, the Walmart in Arroyo Grande had large, empty gaps of unstocked shelves where disinfectant products used to be.
At Trader Joe’s in San Luis Obispo, a limited supply of $1.99 Grapefruit & Lemon Hand Sanitizer sprays were still available Monday morning.
A clerk there told The Tribune sold-out items weren’t the only impact coronavirus was having locally. He said he wore plastic gloves while handling items at the checkout for best protection.
“It’s not because I have to,” the clerk said. “It’s because I choose to. So many people come through.”
Stores limiting purchases due to ‘aggressive shopping’
Some stores have taken steps to keep shoppers from stockpiling high-demand items.
Target is joining other stores like Kroger and Publix in limiting the sale of hand sanitizer and other products, as CEO Brian Cornell said there has been “aggressive shopping” at the company’s stores, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Target store in SLO had limited supplies of paper towels, toilet paper and disinfectant sprays, and was totally out of hand sanitizers.
“Due to high demand and to support all guests, we will be limiting the quantities of disinfectant wipes, and sanitizers and hand and face wipes to six per guest,” a Target sign posted on a shelf noted.
Several managers and store workers declined comment, citing corporate policies that limit them from speaking publicly.
But at SLO’s Food-4-Less, a store employee who asked not to be identified said that customers are buying high quantities of non-perishable staples such as rice, ramen, and canned foods such as beans. Food-4-Less ran out of hand sanitizers days ago.
“We make the orders to restock, but we keep getting a response that suppliers are out of hand sanitizers,” the employee said. “I’ve heard people are buying up sanitizers and selling them on Amazon for $20 a bottle. Amazon kicks them off the site, but they’ll pop up again as a new vendor anyway.”
Coronavirus awareness tips
Coronavirus, known as COVID-19, is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.
The CDC says it’s possible to catch COVID-19 by touching something that has the virus on it, and then touching your own face, “but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath, which may occur two days to two weeks after exposure. The disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
Quarantines generally last 14 days if someone believes they were exposed to another person with coronavirus, or if they’ve recently come into contact with a visitor from a country experiencing an outbreak — such as China, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Iran — or Washington state, which has the largest number of deaths in the United States.
SLO County shoppers share thoughts on COVID-19
Despite the concerns around the virus, several shoppers said Monday they aren’t taking drastic measures to change their daily lives, nor are they overly worried.
“I’m not too concerned about it,” said Tawny Winter of Cambria, while strolling the aisles at Trader Joe’s.
“I’m washing my hands more, eating well, trying to get enough rest and exercising,” she said. “But I don’t think it does any good to worry too much. It’s like the bird flu. This too shall pass.”
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Another shopper, Claudia Dignan of San Luis Obispo said she is giving elbow bumps at church to avoid shaking hands and was planning to look for sanitizers on Monday, but otherwise her life is “pretty much the same.”
Elvadee Rittenhouse, a senior citizen from SLO, said she already is “generally addicted” to products such as wipes and sanitizers, and that’s not changing because of the virus. But beyond that, she’s living her life as she otherwise would.
“It’s in God’s hands,” Rittenhouse said.
This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
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