'It was the apocalypse,' Sudbury cashier says after COVID-19 panic buy

A grocery store worker in Sudbury says it has been hard being on the other side of the cash.

Tammy Cardinal said as the COVID-19 pandemic started to unfold, people started to panic buy.

At one point, Cardinal said every check-out had a line-up that stretched to the back of the store.

"People started coming in and buying groceries by the cart full, sometimes two carts full of everything," Cardinal said.

"Mostly it just seems like people are in such a panic for toilet paper. I had people coming from everywhere. My phone was actually ringing off the hook for toilet paper and they were here the minute we got it in."

Cardinal said her store ended up putting a two-item limit on toilet paper when it became apparent people were stocking up.

"Then when it's all done the shelves, even the meats and everything is gone," she said. "People living paycheck to paycheck are having to wait for that and then there's nothing. Because people are hoarding."

"It was just watching the apocalypse."

If we're so essential, why aren't we paid more?

Cardinal said the rush also upset customers who stick to a routine.

"We have a lot of regulars that just come in to do their shopping daily and then some of them actually need their toilet paper," Cardinal said. "They weren't thinking that people were going to go out and buy 18 things at a time.

"How's the coronavirus going to be fought with toilet paper?"

She said she also has concerns about her own role during the crisis.

"I didn't feel safe at all. I don't want to be there right now," she said.

"It's not anybody's fault. If we're so essential why aren't we paid more?"

"Sure the big companies are making money but what about the people that are putting themselves at risk? We're not making anything and then we're putting ourselves at risk."

Cardinal said that she called her supervisor, letting them know she didn't want to come in to work this week. The experience of being in the middle of the rush was too much for her, she said.

"You don't even know what's going," she said. "You don't know. It's just a blur. It's scary. Why do we have to deal with that? Let the military go work the cash maybe or somebody who's better protected right now."

"Or start taking the precautions you would when people are going in and out of a hospital.because we need protection too, you know."

"Who's going to work our crappy jobs if we're all sick?"

Canadian grocers have assured customers they have enough supply to go around for most products, but some say items like sanitizers and toilet paper could get more difficult to restock.