Stocking up
There may be no confirmed cases here, but Butler County residents already are fatigued by the novel coronavirus 2019 that was declared a pandemic last week by the World Health Organization.
Friday marked three weeks to the day since the nation identified its first cluster of cases with the COVID-19 strain, and some county residents are preparing to stay indoors to keep with Gov. Tom Wolf's advice of “social distancing.”
Additionally, some businesses in the county are ramping up hygiene measures. Employees at all three Cummings Coffee locations, for example, have been instructed to stop using glass cups for customers.
“It's just a precautionary measure,” said Barry Cummings, owner of the family business. “We touch the mugs, that touches their mouths and even though we sanitize our cups, we wanted to be extra careful. There's not enough information (on the outbreak), so we're erring on the side of caution.”
Run on toilet paperMeanwhile, reports of depleted toilet paper aisles in supermarkets and dollar stores alike have some considering alternatives.“In the 1800s, they used rags,” said Kay Chase, a retired senior citizen, “So, I guess that's what we'll resort to.”Chase spoke as she shopped at the Giant Eagle off New Castle Road, where management installed a policy limiting customers to two toilet paper products.
Limited hoursJust minutes before, the store had run out of its last bundle of toilet paper. Chase also stocked up on nonperishable items, such as canned goods and dog food.“I'm worried about the toilet paper because everyone is panicking about it. I haven't made it to the toilet paper aisle,” Chase said before being informed the shelves were empty.“I'm not too panicked about it,” Chase said of COVID-19.Brad Zupancic, a manager at the Moraine Pointe Plaza Giant Eagle where Chase was shopping, noted the company's supply lines are up and running, allowing the location to get a fresh delivery every day.
Supply lines increasedZupancic said they've increased their daily supply lines by 40 percent. As customers perused the store, he marveled at the laser-like focus customers have taken to products such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer.“I've been with Giant Eagle since 1992. I've been through SARS, Zika, swine flu, you name it, but I've never seen it this bad with the intense focus on these handful of items,” Zupancic said. “As you can see, it's fine. It's like a normal Sunday, that being our busiest day. It's just a Sunday back-to-back.”In an emergency such as a snowstorm, Zupancic said, customers shop for overall goods, but in this case, the attention seems to have crystallized around the two items.“Giant Eagle has done a commendable job responding to this, deploying high-demand items in fair and judicious ways,” he said.The Pittsburgh area, which includes Butler County, has 90 Giant Eagle locations that get their supplies from a wholesale distribution center in Crafton.
<b>70 percent increase in customers</b>On Wednesday, the number of customers in Zupancic's store went up 70 percent compared to last year, and up to 100 percent Thursday. Zupancic expected the same increase for Friday.“Even so, the customers have been great. They know the issues. There's been no fighting and everyone has been very calm,” Zupancic said. “People are scared, we get that. But people need to see the supply chain is working. We have lots of water. We don't have Purell (sanitizer), but hey, we have many others options. We have aisles of soap that will do the same job.”Like Cummings Coffee, the store has taken measures to reduce the spread of germs. Workers are instructed to wipe down their equipment more frequently than usual and wash their hands with increased regularity.In the southern part of the county, shortages of specific products were also observed.Mary Wineland of Cranberry Township wasn't too concerned about stocking up Friday. Wineland, who has two young children, said her family's pantry is good.“We're always pretty prepared at home,” Wineland said. “We do need toilet paper.”<b>Cranberry store busy</b>Wineland took her daughters, Natalie and Willow, to Giant Eagle in Cranberry Township on Friday afternoon. She said the store was busy. Shoppers seemed to be mostly senior citizens.“The regular line is just down through the aisle,” Wineland said.Wineland is taking precautionary measures by sanitizing items with which her children — both below age 5 — come into contact. She said it's difficult for children to understand the concept of germs. But her hunt for toilet paper was fruitless. She also noted she couldn't get toilet paper at the nearby Sam's Club.“It's concerning,” Wineland said. “Luckily, because we had kids, we already had sanitizer.”Wineland said it's hard to buy sanitizer right now.Kevin and Tracy Walsh of Moon Township also went to Giant Eagle in Cranberry Township on Friday.“We're picking up some stuff for my dad,” Tracy said. “This is crazy.”Tracy said Kevin went to a Giant Eagle near their home Thursday evening and found many items out of stock.“It was kind of specific things,” Kevin Walsh said. “Like chicken noodle soup.”The Walshes said they're friends with a Giant Eagle butcher, who sent them pictures of a ravished meat counter. Their friend hadn't seen anything like it in 17 years of working, according to Tracy.<b>14-day stockpile</b>Kevin Walsh said most people are probably shopping in preparation for the 14-day self-quarantine that's recommended for people feeling ill.“That's a lot of food,” Kevin said.Outside of the county, new cases and deaths increased in Europe, while the virus edged closer to world leaders, with positive tests for the Canadian prime minister's wife, a top aide to Iran's supreme leader, Miami's mayor, a Brazilian official who met with President Donald Trump and an Australian Cabinet minister who met with U.S. Attorney General Bill <b>Barr and Trump's daughter, Ivanka.</b>Trump said he tested negative for the virus during the weekend.France's President Emannuel Macron announced that leaders of the world's largest democracies, the G-7, would hold a video-conference summit Monday to discuss coordinating research on a vaccine and treatments as well as an economic response. Trump prepared to invoke emergency powers to free up more federal resources.The goal is to slow the virus' spread to avoid overwhelming hospitals with those sickened by an illness to which no one in the world has immunity. Worldwide, 137,000 people have been infected and more than 5,000 have died, but half of those who had the virus have already recovered. Most patients have mild or moderate symptoms such as a fever or cold, but severe symptoms, including pneumonia, can occur, especially in the elderly and people with existing health problems.
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