With Coronavirus continuing to spread globally, we've seen supermarket aisles stripped of essentials such as canned foods, pasta, rice and toilet paper.
While stockpiling is a natural psychological reaction in such a scary and uncertain time, it also means that many old and vulnerable people are having to go without.
Across the world, wait-lists for online delivery sites are through the roof, and supermarkets are struggling to meet the sudden surge in demand.
And as more and more heartbreaking images emerge of the elderly browsing empty aisles, people are now calling for change to ensure that they don't miss out on doing their weekly shops.
One of the first supermarkets to suggest a solution was Iceland in Northern Ireland, which announced it would be opening its doors exclusively for the elderly so that they could do their shopping in peace.
The supermarket - based in the Kennedy Centre, West Belfast - announced it would let older customers inside from 8-9am, before everyone else, starting on Tuesday.
It said in a statement: "Iceland Foods will be opening their store between 8-9am for the elderly commencing Tuesday 17th March.
"Could the wider public please respect this hour, and understand that this time is allocated for elderly people only.
There have been no reports of any Colorado stores instituting early hours for elderly shoppers. Please call your local store and request it or email the corporate office. It has been established that the elderly community is at a higher risk of complications if they contract COVID-19. So it is important they avoid crowded public spaces.
It is paramount that we help our senior population as we practice social distancing. Please keep in mind older adults may have little to no internet or social media access. There have been many reports of seniors who were not aware of the lack of food and toiletries and are now unprepared. There are also scams popping up on platforms like Nextdoor offering to sell goods from their "clinic" but are asking for a credit card information over the phone to place the order. Unfortunately, they never deliver any goods and steal their credit card information.
Be sure to check-in with the seniors in your life or even your neighborhood to be sure they are safe and making smart decisions.
Information for this article was sourced from:
https://www.tyla.com/news/news-coronavirus-stockpiling-supermarkets-open-early-elderly-old-people-20200316