As Pennsylvania state-owned liquor stores shutter to help curb the spread of coronavirus, residents scrambled to stock their shelves.
Naturally, northern Delaware’s locations saw a spike in visitors, both from its neighboring state and from residents facing potential closures here, as well.
On Tuesday morning at the Total Wine & More along the Delaware-Pennsylvania border, there was a line of over 20 people waiting for the business’s 9 a.m. opening. All locations in Pennsylvania will close Tuesday night.
People were grabbing yellow carts as they shuffled into the store when the doors opened.
They made beelines for their favorites and grabbed cases instead of just one box.
One Delaware woman came out with a cart stacked with half a dozen boxes of Big Sipper wine. She said she’d been coming for the last few days but the store had run out. That’s why she came so early Tuesday.
She’s worried that the outbreak of COVID-19 won’t be curbed until July or August so she’s stocking up just in case.
Ed Turner lives in the apartments next to Total Wine and has seen first-hand the increase of cars in the parking lot and the uptick in buying.
“I came over here yesterday just to get a bottle of wine,” he said. “And I got here at like, right around 9 a.m. and it was just a stream of people with carts coming in.”
He came for a bottle of wine but ended up getting a few more after seeing how many people had the same idea.
It was probably a good call.
Multiple people came out with carts full to the brim with cases of beer and wine. Since it was so early, a few people had their kids with them.
And it wasn’t limited to that one location.
At the Milltown location, many were also coming out with cases.
At the Milltown location, many were also coming out with cases.
Regular shopper Randy Harp said he was surprised at how crazy it was. He stops in weekly for a few cases of beer but today, he said the stock was very low.
“They’re 15% of what they normally would be,” he said of the beer supply. He was there when the store staff were bringing out more though.
“There was no way they were going to catch up,” he said.
The 62-year-old said he isn’t worried about the virus himself but is a little concerned for elderly neighbors and his older family, like his mom.
“She’s 86 and of course, has a lot of health conditions,” he said.
He said, however, that the country has lived through events like 9/11, Vietnam, World War II and others.
“I believe it. I believe everything we’re getting from the media,” he said. “But I’ve been through so many of these national emergencies that I know we’ll pull together and get through it. That’s just the way we are.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 16 confirmed cases in Delaware. No liquor store or grocery store closures had been announced yet.
Contact Marina Affo at maffo@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @marina_affo.
“I believe it. I believe everything we’re getting from the media,” he said. “But I’ve been through so many of these national emergencies that I know we’ll pull together and get through it. That’s just the way we are.”
This man is PATHETIC. He’s the problem with America; the reason gun sales continue to rise; stashed in homes to rust.
Frankly I’m disgusted in the gutless people over this fake virus, cover for the criminal banking coup taking place in front of our eyes. God, I hope there are other’s that see what is happening outside of my fellow Trenchers. I’m yet to meet one.
‘God, I hope there are other’s that see what is happening outside of my fellow Trenchers. I’m yet to meet one.’ 🙂
Here where I am at, the average person is laughing at coronavirus and the stupid people that believe it.
One way or another, rather gently or like a punch in the face, at one point all will have to admit to the boot on their neck.
There are a hell of a lot of Trenchers across this country, reading and getting ready and keeping a low profile.
How I wish I were obscure, but someone has to shout the warning. So the people here on the site had taken on that burden and the truth we have manifested across this country, I believe will make the difference. We were the first to step up to do our share and I know that the difference we make will decide the issue in the end.
Onward and upward.