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On Saturday, a man in Washington state died after contracting COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, marking the first death in the US caused by the disease that is making its way across the globe after originating in Wuhan, China. Health officials updated the death toll on Monday to six, with over 90 infected in the US.
With the global death toll surpassing 3,000, many Americans have taken precautionary measures by stocking up on nonperishable food items and emergency supplies for the possibility of a quarantine or a break in the supply chain. No US city was under quarantine orders on Monday. One of the items flying off the shelves was face masks, which, despite their high demand, have been deemed unnecessary for the general public by the World Health Organization and will not protect against the coronavirus.
These pictures capture the rush as Americans flooded groceries, pharmacies, and wholesale stores to stock up on emergency supplies.
