It was pandemonium at local grocery stores in and around the Bradford area last night after the province's announcment to close all publicly funded schools from March 14-April 5.
Shelves were left empty as people rushed to stock up on toilet paper, bread, canned goods and non-perishable food items for the next few weeks.
Bradford resident, Laura Vree says she has been stocking up over the last few weeks on things like rice, lentils, canned salmon, and frozen fruits and vegetables.
"I am quite stressed at the thought of quarantine because I love to grocery shop every day," she said.
Vree said she will be bringing her kids home from university, as most of their classes have been moved to an online platform.
"It is better to have them home if we do have to self-quarantine," she said.
Natalie Everitt, a Bradford mom with a one-year-old daughter, says she was out Thursday getting diapers and baby wipes at Bradford's Walmart.
"I definitely picked the wrong night to go," she joked.
She noted people had more than one cart full of frozen foods.
"It seems so silly to me," she said.
Everitt is not very concerned about the coronavirus. "I think with the usual precaustions (washing hands, sanitizing) it will be fine."
Another resident, Leslie Puiras says she placed an online order at the Superstore in Newmarket at Yonge and Green Lane for an 8-9 p.m. pickup time.
At 6:30 p.m. she received a phone call telling her that they were running behind on orders.
Her husband decided to go to the store and check on their order at 9:10 p.m.
"He went in and they (the employees) were scrambling. The poor ladies were trying to keep up. People were nasty, all lanes were opened and there were 20-30 people in each line," Puiras said.
Her husband jumped in and started helping the Express Orders staff with packing bags.
Puiras said the family wasn't stocking up, they were simply buying their regular grocery items.
"I felt so bad for the employees having to put up with people's impatience during obviously unique circumstances," she said.
Bradford mother, Amber Harris-Carniello says she was at Walmart in Bradford stocking up on snacks for the March Break that starts Saturday and will continue for three weeks, thanks to the closure of all publicly-funded schools by the province.
"The aisle was so full, people were taking turns, almost like traffic," she said. She added that most people were being polite amidst the chaos.
Harris-Carniello said people were running to the toilet paper aisle, and when an employee brought more out to replenish the shelves, customers flocked to them.
There was no pasta or canned goods on the shelves; the bread aisle was next to no empty.
Cynthia Lee, who works at Upper Canada Mall, said she was coming off her shift and stopped into the Superstore at Yonge and Green Lane for some Tostitos chips and dip and was disgusted with what she saw.
"The shelves were empty and there were hundreds of people - honestly, I was aghast and totally shocked," she said.
"I have never seen anything like it in my life."
The lineups had a minimum of six people in them, and all the carts were overflowing.
"I truly felt sick and it scared me, truly people were simply out of their heads," said Lee.
Customer Service Representative at Bradford's Walmart Marg Roblin said the panic buying hasn't stopped and is still going on this morning.
"We didn't expect it," she explained.
Roblin said they are expecting an emergency delivery of more items, but are not sure when the delivery will arrive.
Health Canada advises at this time it makes sense to stockpile cupboards with non-perishable food items in case one becomes ill and can't go shopping.
However, the government website also points out that it is easier on the supply chain if people gradually build up their household stores instead of making large-scale purchases all at once. To do this, just add a few extra items to your grocery cart every time you shop.
Good options are easy-to-prepare foods like:
- dried pasta and sauce
- prepared canned soups
- canned vegetables and beans
It is also a good idea to have extra stores of:
- pet food
- toilet paper
- facial tissue
- feminine hygiene products
- diapers (if you have children who use them)
