March 30, 2020
By Madison Sofield
Staff Writer
The COVID-19 pandemic may be temporary, but I’ll never look at disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer and toilet paper the same way I used to.
In the past, people would not worry when they went shopping for household items and groceries. They got what they needed and did not think twice about what would happen if they ran out. Prices were reasonable, and there were plenty of Clorox wipes, Purell bottles and rolls of Charmin for everyone.
As a result of this public health crisis, even food can be hard to come by.
This is no longer the case, as people across the country are frantically hoarding supplies. They are trying to avoid making frequent trips to stores, and they fear the items they rely on to keep their homes and themselves clean will no longer be available. Panic-stricken, people are also buying much more than they need, which leaves limited or no supplies for other shoppers.
The situation is particularly severe in Bergen County, which—with 2,169 infected individuals—has the highest number of reported COVID-19 cases in New Jersey. Lyndhurst is part of this unfortunate trend, and the number of infected people continues to increase, according to the Lyndhurst Office of Emergency Management. As of March 29, Lyndhurst was up to 44 presumptive positive cases.
PHOTO BY ALYSSA FERRARA Target in Clifton, N.J. is limiting the quantities customers can purchase of high-demand products.
As a result of this public health crisis, even food can be hard to come by. Luckily, some grocery stores are offering senior hours in the morning so especially vulnerable populations have special access to goods and can shop in a less crowded setting. Stop & Shop, for instance, is open exclusively to those 60 and older between 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Luckily, all supermarkets are now imposing limits on high demand items.
Although it is good that supermarkets have special store hours for seniors, my family has decided it is too dangerous for my grandpa to be in public places at this time. Therefore, my dad is doing the shopping for our family. Unfortunately, his errand runs are often unsuccessful, and when he returns home, he tells us that the store was out of toilet paper.
I would have never imagined that store shelves would sit empty or that common household goods would become precious commodities, but that is the sad reality nowadays.
