It is a similar scene across the state: empty shelves at supermarkets. On Friday morning, several grocery stores in Connecticut had lines out the door.
NBC Connecticut visited the Big Y in Groton where workers said they saw a steady flow of shoppers all day. Shelves that are supposed to hold disinfectant wipes and toilet paper were completely empty.
"I guess it is just the fear of the unknown," said Carey Beralderi from Mystic. Beralderi said she pushed up her weekly shopping out of concern over the spread of the coronavirus.
While some shoppers said they were doing routine shopping and were not overly concerned, others said they were stocking up and buying the essentials to prepare for an outbreak of COVID-19 in their community.
“I think we need to stay ahead of things and be proactive, really," said Robert Peterson of North Stonington. He went to the store with his daughter to buy nonperishable food items and paper towels
The CDC advises that people should be preparing for COVID-19.
According to the CDC, people should have over-the-counter medicines to treat fever and other symptoms. They also recommend having enough household items and groceries on hand to be prepared to stay at home for a period of time.
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If you are on prescribed medications, the CDC advises you to call your healthcare provider and ask about getting extra medications to have on hand in case there is an outbreak of coronavirus in your community.
Many stores in the area are running low on disinfectant sprays and cleaning supplies. While public health leaders say most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective, they also say unexpired household bleach will be effective against COVID-19.
The CDC says to properly dilute household bleach, you should use one-third of a cup of bleach per gallon of water.
Many supermarkets are working to make the shopping experience safer. Big Y stores started packaging baked good and olives that would normally be displayed in their self serve sections on Friday afternoon.
The CDC also recommends that people wipe down touch-points with disinfectant cleaners, including the handles on shopping carts.
For more on how the CDC says you should be preparing for a potential COVID-19 outbreak in your community, click here.
