El Paso, Texas (KTSM) – With household items such as toilet paper, and bottled water running out amid COVID-19 concerns, officials are saying this causes more harm than good.
Now with a presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in El Paso, many people think this is the time to rush to the stores, but the city and state officials say that while taking precautions, stockpiling is not helpful to the community.
With many shoppers rushing to stores to buy things out of panic, many El Pasoans are leaving stores without the items they needed.
“Water, and paper towels and wipes but they don’t have any of those items only water, you can only get two waters,” said one Walmart shopper.
Many store shelves are cleaned out. Toilet paper, disinfectant products, and even pasta are flying off the shelves.
Customers waiting in lines up to over an hour just to get inside and do their shopping.
Some El Pasoans say people need to think of others when heading to the stores.
“Okay you’re buying a lot of stuff but maybe there are some people who need it more,” said one local shopper.
For those who are avoiding stores and parking lots, online shopping is not necessarily easier.
Orders for hand sanitizers, masks, and gloves have skyrocketed 817% last month online. Toilet paper orders went up nearly 200%.
“Now, I understand maybe you’re running out of something, but you don’t need to take 7-8 packs,” said another shopper.
As for what you really need, homeland security says that during a pandemic you should focus on the basics. A two-week supply of food and water, enough prescription, and over the counter medicine.
