Shopping frenzy amid Coronavirus outbreak

Grocery stores are full of people but down in supplies.

Dozens of shoppers have flocked to stores amid the highly contagious corona virus outbreak.

News 18's marvin bills joins us live at payless in west lafayette.

He's spent the day talking with shoppers and shares what they're experiencing.

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"it's been chaos."

Brent hickle has worked at a lafayette grocery store for six months.

His experience has looked a lot different since the coronavirus outbreak.

"oh they're wrapped over towards the deli, towards the produce department."

He's talking about lines.

He says he's never experienced anything like this before.

"i received a call just last night about a guy asking if we had enough food in the store."

Hickle says the store normally receives a shipment of product every tuesday and friday..

Although by friday, they're drained of most things like - "toilet paper and i mean that's about all we have really right now."

"we have people there until we close at midnight now."

Jessica ortiz is one of those customers who waited in line for almost an hour.

"i was going back to aisles, to the second aisle in the back.

So we were just talking amongst each other just trying to make light of the situation."

Ortiz says she isn't sure why people are frantically shopping.

"i'm like what is going on?

And then i feel like with social media it kind of makes everything worse.

Because people panic even worse.

I can't even tell you how many carts that were literally overflowing with items in their carts this morning."

And shoppers such as kristie habbinga are anxious to even walk in the store.

"i just think it's going over board.

I mean i know we need to be cautious."

"makes me nervous to go to the store.

Because from what i've heard, everything's empty."

She says the panicking causes a tense environment creating other problems. "a lot of people over there just fighting food and toilet paper."

Ad lib... marvin bills news 18.

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