Phoenix is not living under mandated quarantine. However, the city is asking people to stay at home. The local cities issued decrees earlier this week that most businesses should close and gatherings of 10 or more people are discouraged.
I’ve worked from home this past week. For the most part it was business as usual for me. I’ll again work from home next week. I expect work stuff to move along as normal.
This morning I ventured out of the house to go to the grocery store. We didn’t need anything, per se. There were a few things I wanted to get. So I got in my car and drove the half mile to the store.
Traffic was about what one would expect for a Saturday. Given that so many businesses are closed, I’m not really sure where everyone was driving to/from. To each their own.
The grocery store’s parking lot was fairly typical for a Saturday morning. I arrived around 9:30 AM. A few people exited the store as I walked up to the main doors. Each pushed a cart with a few bags inside. There was no evidence of panic buying from these folks.
I entered and grabbed a cart from the right. I used a handi-wipe to wipe down the sides of the cart and its handle. I’m not sure if that does anything, but it made me feel better.
My first stop was at the deli counter for some sandwich meats. This was my main reason for coming. The deli was completely stocked with meats. I was able to get everything I wanted.
The produce area was also fully stocked except for one empty bin. Given the bin’s placement in the produce area, it likely held onions or perhaps potatoes. I’m not sure. There were still plenty of things to choose from. I grabbed some bananas and a bag of carrots.
I walked to the bread aisle which is next to the produce area. There was plenty of bread. The shelves were stocked from floor to ceiling of different kinds of bread.
The cheese section was completely bare. Not a block or bag of cheddar to be seen. The area of imported cheeses was fully stocked.
Most of the store was stocked of items, although the meat section was pretty sparse. There were various steaks and cuts of chicken, but things like pork chops and hamburger meat were gone.
I did walk down the paper products aisle. This is where they keep things like paper towels, toilet paper, paper napkins, and paper plates. I wanted to pick up some paper plates. The entire aisle was empty. Apparently the store hasn’t caught up with the demand. The store keeps receiving shipments of these products, but they are sold out by 8 am.
The general demeanor of people in the store was normal for a Saturday afternoon. Nobody was irritable and people were not fighting over products. I did see an Asian woman wearing a surgical mask as I exited the store.
I don’t fear CV19. I do fear an economic depression setting on the country given the draconian measures states and cities are enacting all in the name of keeping people safe. If people cannot work to earn wages, then things can spiral out of control in a few short weeks. I pray that these draconian measures will be lifted by the end of the month so people can get back to work. The American people have always been at their best when they produce the goods and services for the market.