Toronto stores are selling out of hand sanitizer because of coronavirus

Empty shelves where Purell hand sanitizer once sat is becoming a common sight in Toronto.

People are starting to take more precautions when it comes to protecting themselves from coronavirus, even though the city is still at low risk, according to Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health.

Dear Toronto,
How to respond to the coronavirus: Wash your hands often & use hand sanitizer; Cover your nose when you sneeze & mouth when you cough; Check the facts from reputable sources (i.e. @TOPublicHealth); Don't be f**king racist. 🤦‍♀️😣🙄Thanks!#CoronaVirusCanada #topoli

— Kathleen Gamble (@KatGamble19) January 29, 2020

Face masks have been sold out in various stores across the city since last week in response to the spread of the virus, and now hand sanitizer is getting hard to find too. 

It is impossible to find hand sanitizer in the GTA right now. Anyone know where to get some ?! #Toronto

— Maria Qadri (@EpiQadri) January 30, 2020

Toronto Public Health says that washing your hands often with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer are good prevention measures to practice during this time.   

Well I guess I'm not buying hand sanitizer 😂 #CoronaVirus #Toronto pic.twitter.com/AmLNCcyLAt

— 🏒🥅 Paula 🥅🏒 (@PaulaJR34) January 27, 2020

Toronto Public Health is also warning people to avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Hand sanitizer is a pretty standard item to stock up on during regular cold and flu season, but because the fear of contracting coronavirus is high, even though there's low risk, people seem to be making hand sanitizer a priority. 

People in Toronto really going all out and buying all the hand sanitizer pic.twitter.com/0benhnIAIt

— Richard Ng (@GreatRootBear) January 27, 2020

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus, but Health officials are still encouraging Canadians to get their flu shot. 

Every pharmacy in Toronto is out of hand sanitizer and face masks!!! pic.twitter.com/MEmd4jnGc7

— Marius (@3dreamers) January 29, 2020

As of Wednesday, Toronto Public Health has received confirmation of two cases of coronavirus in a resident who recently returned from Wuhan, China and a close contact of the first case.

The first individual is stable and is hospitalized. The second individual has been in self-isolation.