Heavy coronavirus-related buying of certain items at local stores continues (5 photos)

SooToday checked out local grocery stores Saturday to see how much, if any, certain in-demand goods are still on the shelves as a result of heavy buying due to COVID-19 concerns among shoppers.

We found store shelves to be emptied of such items as toilet paper, laundry detergent, orange juice, pasta, pasta sauce and meat, observing long lines of customers at the checkouts. 

The good news, said two grocery store managers who spoke to us, is grocery stores are receiving more stock, on a daily basis, of items in heavy demand as a result of COVID-19 fears.

The bad news is customers are buying up items in bulk as soon as they come in, leading to continued shortages of such items as:

• dried pasta and rice
• pasta sauces
• canned soups, vegetables and beans
• pet food
• toilet paper
• feminine hygiene products
• diapers
• facial tissue
• soap
• alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• paper towels
• plastic garbage bags
• dish soap
• laundry detergent
• household bleach
• household cleaning products

Several countries continue to close borders and impose restrictions on large gatherings in an attempt to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The virus has infected more than 145,000 people worldwide and more than 5,400 have died.  

As of Friday, there were still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Sault and Algoma region.