hand sanitizer toronto

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.

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. 

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.   

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. 

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

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.

Lead photo by

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