Empty shelves are pictured at a downtown Los Angeles Whole Foods.
Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles Police Department urged Angelenos to not panic-shop for food and other supplies and said the city's water supply is clean and safe to drink.
The LAPD tweeted: “During these times, we must work together and not against each other. Here are the facts:
- There is no food shortage & stores will restock, so please don't hoard.
- The water supply is clean & safe to drink, so there’s no need to buy water in bulk.
- We are in this together.''
Garcetti tweeted: “This is about preparation and prevention, not panic.” No need to hoard excess items. There is no food shortage and stores will restock. No need to purchase bottled water. @LADWP water is clean and safe.”
Meanwhile, grocery stores ramped up efforts to resupply their stores with merchandise overnight, after a rash of stockpiling caused long lines and, eventually, empty shelves at many Southland supermarkets.
Ralphs cut its store hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to give employees more time to restock shelves.
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Walmart said its stores and neighborhood markets would be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. starting Sunday until further notice. “This will help ensure associates can clean and stock products,” the company said.
Monrovia-based Trader Joe's said that beginning Monday and until further notice, all its stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. “to support our crew members in taking care of one another and our customers.”
“We are closely monitoring the situation, and regularly providing all of our stores and crew members with the most up-to-date safety guidance, as recommended by the CDC and other health officials,” the company said on its website.
