BY MEG CAPONE
Pharmacy staff are struggling
to keep shelves stocked
with cleaning supplies,
masks, and cold medication
as locals stockpile supplies in
the wake of New York City’s
fi rst coronavirus diagnosis.
“We just can’t seem to get
stuff on the shelf fast enough
and people are getting upset,”
said an employee at a
Park Slope Rite Aid located
on Flatbush Avenue between
Fifth And Sixth Streets, who
only gave her name as Catalina.
Staff reported stockpiling
at all seven stores surveyed
by Brooklyn Paper in Downtown
Brooklyn, Brooklyn
Heights and Park Slope, with
customers making a b-line for
cleaning and healthcare products
including Lysol, hand
sanitizer, bottled water, wet
wipes, face masks, gloves and
cold and fl u medication.
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Stores had been selling
more than their usual share
of those products in the
months since the coronavirus
began spreading out of Wuhan,
China, but locals have
been grabbing supplies by the
arm full since the NYC case
was diagnosed in Manhattan
Sunday, Catalina said.
“When people come in here
they take a lot—like 20 mini
hand sanitizers at a time–and
that’s why we run out so fast,”
she said.
Staff at a Duane Reade located
on Fulton Street near
Jay Street have resorted to rationing
items in a bid to keep
certain products in stock and
ensure that all customers can
get at least some of what they
need.
“Our issue is people who
are coming in and buying in
bulk. We’ve been rationing
Empty shelves of cleaning products at a Downtown Duane Reade. Photo by Meg Capone
but things still go so quickly
we’re forced to restock,” said
a manager there, who gave
his name as Ken, “I just feel
like it’s not fair that people
are hogging stuff and leaving
others with nothing.”
Another Downtown Duane
Reade located on Court Street
near Montague Street accepted
a shipment of over
1,000 bottles of hand sanitizer
on Friday — only to completely
sell out before Monday
morning, according to the
drug store manager.
“Sometimes we run out in
hours,” said Ken, “I recommend
coming in before noon
or else there will probably be
nothing left.”
In addition to cleaning and
medical supplies, customers
are coming into drug stores
seeking fl u shots in unusually
high number, according to
the supervising pharmacist
at the Fulton Street Duane
Reade.
And as the stockpiling
leads to empty shelves, patrons
turned their frustration
over the lack of supplies and
growing threat of the coronavirus
on staff.
“Stores need to be doing
better,”said one customer at
the Joralemon Street Rite Aid
near Clinton Street in Brooklyn
Heights, who gave her
name as Sariah. “This isn’t a
joke anymore.”
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Stores struggling to maintain inventory
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