NC snow freak out meets 37% positivity COVID test rate to create bare grocery shelves.
I've lived in North Carolina for 21 years now and continue to be amused by the overreaction of residents to impending snow. We just had a snow and mostly ice storm last weekend. It's supposed to rain most of the day here in the Triangle area (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) turning to snow showers tonight. We have a 50% chance of some snow tomorrow. That's it.
I went to my regular Harris Teeter this morning to take advantage of the Thursday senior day (5% discount) and use a $20. coupon off for $100. purchased, which was published in the advertising insert of my local paper yesterday. The coupon is good through Sunday. They publish these coupons at least a couple of times/month and I've rarely seen it affect inventory.
Well. I have NEVER seen so many empty shelves. Usually there's a run on milk and bread when snow is predicted. But I think the supply chain has dramatically been altered by what is our current almost 37% Covid positivity rate. It's higher than it's ever been, with more cases recorded daily and hospitalizations are approaching 4700. Statewide, we have 74% vaccinated with at least one dose. It's probably higher here in the Triangle because the three counties--Wake, Durham, and Orange--are heavily Democratic. Today, produce shelves were nearly empty. Bread shelves nearly empty. Meat cases were nearly empty. ZERO milk. They did have limited supplies of almond or oat milk. Snacks aisle of chips/pretzels, etc about half full. Freezer section with limited supplies. And it took waiting in line for 30 minutes to have the one full service cashier check me out, with a long line behind me. The other regular cashier was working the self checkout helping a steady line of people get through who had limited items in small baskets.
I have never seen a grocery store with so many empty shelves. It made me wonder if Putin wouldn't be thrilled to see it. This was normal weather freak out (I've lived in snow country) meets the result of people who refuse to vaccinate and take the pandemic seriously. That high positivity rate means a lot of people who are normally working aren't working.
The one thing that was positive to see was 100% masking compliance. I did not see one person in the store not wearing a mask. It is a county mandate here and people usually comply.
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If the roads are closed and a lot of them have been due to weather, the resupplies are in transit but have not arrived. Grocery stores depend on a huge network of transports and stockers to make those things full. Miss a couple of delivers oh well, miss a week and a lot of things run out.
Be safe during that blizzard 
