Many of the stores northeastNOW has talked to are sold out of hand sanitizer. (Cam Lee/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

Hand Sanitizer Hard To Come By

Hand sanitizer popularity amid COVID-19 leading to empty store shelves

Mar 12, 2020 | 12:00 PM

We’ve all heard the footage and seen the commotion as people purchase large amounts of toilet paper as COVID-19 spreads world-wide.

But another item is proving to be flying off the shelves – hand sanitizer.

northeastNOW contacted a number of businesses in Melfort to see how many had hand sanitizer in stock.

While no one was willing to talk on record, there was confirmation that it has been difficult to keep the item on store shelves.

One location had a shipment of larger bottles arrive yesterday, but by this morning they were sold out again.

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Two stores had the small travel bottles, while the other five contacted had no hand sanitizer in stock.

A number of other communities in Canada have seen shortages of hand sanitizer as well, including Winnipeg, Yellowknife, and Toronto.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on their website that one of the ways to help protect yourself from COVID-19 and prevent the spread of the virus was to regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub, or wash them with soap and water.

Saskatchewan confirmed their first positive case of COVID-19 on Thursday.

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974