Store shelves ‘completely wiped out’ of toilet paper, hand sanitizer as fears escalate

As fears mount over the rising number of coronavirus cases in Illinois, shoppers looking to stock up on essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer left shelves bare Thursday at stores across the city.

Sarah Witt was among the hundreds of people hustling through a Costco in Lincoln Park in the late afternoon.

Witt fears that Illinois is now “going on the same trajectory” as Italy, which has seen over 1,000 coronavirus deaths and has gone on lockdown to quell the spread of the disease. So she filled her cart with dozens of water bottles, batteries and flashlights to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

“I should’ve done this a month ago,” said Witt.

A similar scene played out at stores across the city, including at a Jewel-Osco in Wicker Park where shoppers quickly bought up all the facial masks, tissues and disinfectant wipes on Thursday.

“As soon as they came in, we already had a line,” a store supervisor told the Sun-Times. “A lot of the shelves are completely wiped out.”

Cyndee Aiello was hoping to grab some hand sanitizer to replenish the supply at Griddle 24, an all-night diner on the Near North Side where she works. All the customers are using it, Aiello said.

Though she’s scared about the spreading coronavirus, Aiello is concerned the outbreak will drive people away from the restaurant. She said the decision to cancel the city’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities “takes away a lot of the business.”

After poking around the store for sanitizer and coming out empty-handed, Aiello went to search elsewhere — though she wasn’t confident about her prospects.

“I’ve got a sneaking suspicion I’m not going to find any.”