Canadians overwhelming Costco in midst of coronavirus panic

Costco and other bulk buy stores in Canada are having trouble keeping the shelves stocked amid the COVID-19 coronavirus entering the country.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam urged Canadians to make some preparations for a potential outbreak of the virus by “keeping extra food and medication on hand, managing childcare arrangements, and preparing alternate arrangements for work.”

She also said that the risk to Canadians remains low, however, as of March 1, there are 24 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Canada. Provinces that have confirmed cases are Ontario with 15 cases, British Columbia with eight cases, and Quebec which has only one case.

There are also an additional forty-seven Canadians abroad, who have been quarantined on the Princess Diamond cruise ship that have also tested positive for the virus.

Many Canadian heeded her advice to stock up on essentials, making it difficult for customers to even get into stores because they were so jam-packed. The photo below shows the Costco in Burlington, Ontario, where the line to enter has stretched around the block.

The Costco in Burnaby, BC saw shoppers swarm their aisles looking to stock up their homes for a potential outbreak. The top item sold were spam, black beans, Lysol wipes and toilet paper, according to Fresh Daily.

Not everybody was stocking up on the bare essentials however, one shopper was spotted leaving a Costco in Vancouver with 16 boxes of condoms and a big jar of coconut oil. Some of us are planning for a good time in the post-apocalyptic world.