Area stores taking some safety precautions amid coronavirus

An employee wearing protective blue gloves was wiping down the handles of grocery carts when customers walked into Clarkston’s Costco on Tuesday.

Food samples had been discontinued out of concerns over the coronavirus, according to media reports, but shoppers could use complimentary hand sanitizer as they entered the store.

Those are some of the most obvious precautions being taken in the retail sector of the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley as concerns about the illness spread.

As of Tuesday afternoon, no one had tested positive for coronavirus in southeastern Washington or north central Idaho.

At major stores in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, the illness’ impact appeared to be limited to decreasing availability of a handful of certain items.

Almost all of the shelves were full at Rosauers Supermarkets, Albertsons in Lewiston and Clarkston, Costco, Walmart, North 40 Outfitters, WinCo Foods, Staples, Home Depot and Sportsman’s Warehouse, with a few exceptions Tuesday.

Inventories of hand sanitizer, for example, had been depleted at places like Rosauers and Clarkston Albertsons. Shoppers had cleared displays of disinfectant wipes at Home Depot and WinCo.

At least two large spots were empty in cleaning supply aisles at Walmart, but it wasn’t obvious what they carried.

Walmart acknowledged the coronavirus was affecting customers’ buying habits on its corporate website in a statement about its response to the illness.

“We will work to keep our stores stocked and prices fair,” the Walmart statement said. “As one would expect, paper products, cleaning supplies and other items are in high demand as customers prepare for the possible impact of (the coronavirus). We are working to replenish those items quickly.”

Rosauers had a recipe for hand sanitizer hanging in several places in the store, including where it sells rubbing alcohol, one of the ingredients.

A few stores were rationing popular goods.

WinCo had placed a limit of four per family on disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, hand soap, latex gloves and face masks.

Costco had imposed restrictions of two per family on sales of toilet paper, bottled water and some cleaning supplies. Clarkston Albertsons was capping purchases of things such as hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol to five per transaction.

Some of those items can help prevent the spread of coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person, according to the CDC, through people who are within about 6 feet of each other or through droplets produced by infected people when they sneeze or cough. Those droplets can land in the mouths and noses of people nearby.

The CDC recommends cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces such as telephones and door knobs daily.

“It may be possible that a person can get (coronavirus) by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads,” according to the CDC website.

Using hand sanitizer is advised by the CDC when it’s not possible for people to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after they have been in public, blown their noses, sneezed or coughed.

Face masks are needed for health care workers caring for coronavirus patients and those diagnosed with the illness, who are showing symptoms, according to the CDC.

“CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including (the coronavirus),” according to the CDC. “You should only wear a mask if a health care professional recommends it.”

Stores aren’t the only businesses affected by the coronavirus. Avista announced measures Tuesday to protect its employees and customers. The company is encouraging employees to work from home if possible, increasing sanitation of its offices, postponing any large internal group events this month, discouraging nonessential business travel and limiting visitors to its facilities.

Avista’s lobbies and district offices will remain open, but the utility asked customers to use its online accounts at www.myavista.com or the Avista mobile app if possible, according to a news release.

“We take our role as an essential service provider seriously, and as such, we have taken precautionary measures internally with a focus on employee health and safety and the continued delivery of safe and reliable electricity and natural gas to our customers,” said Dennis Vermillion, Avista president and CEO.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261. The Tribune’s Joel Mills contributed to this report