Local grocery stores such as Downtown Market and Crofter’s Bounty are reporting major shortages of toilet paper. Their entire stock is gone thanks to a spree of panic purchases made following the lockdown announcement. Witnesses claim some customers were filling entire shopping carts with nothing but toilet paper. New shipments aren’t arriving until Monday, leaving shoppers out of luck if they run out.

There are shortages being reported all across the country. Other items being bought in huge quantities include bottled water, canned food, and cigarettes. People are preparing for the worst and want to have all the necessities on hand in case things get worse. With COVID-19 cases increasing exponentially and deaths reported on the rise, it’s not surprising that some may see this as a sign of the end times.

Many stores have started implementing item limits to prevent a small number of customers from clearing out their entire stock. Not everyone buying toilet paper in mass quantities are simply storing up in case of an emergency. A handful of opportunists are taking advantage of the shortages to sell the stock they purchased for high prices. Unfortunately, many people are forking over the extra cash to avoid running out of toilet paper.

As the pandemic continues, we’re sure to see more goods being stockpiled by customers. Baby food and diapers have also been targets for opportunities. It’s a shame that with all the horrible things happening in our world right now, there are still those who only care about money. Profiting off of other people’s misery and desperation is sadly a time-honored tradition in this country. We can only hope this is the “worse” part when they say it has to get worse before it gets better.

-Sarah Donovan, Editor & Local News, Emerson Valley Gazette