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Costco did not respond to a request for comment before press time.

Canadian retailers have experienced both supply issues due to the rail blockades and a ramping up of demand following the outbreak of COVID-19, said Karl Littler, senior vice-president of public affairs for the Retail Council of Canada. But so far, those issues have not resulted in significant shortages as Canadian food retailers reroute cargo and shift from rail to trucking where necessary.

“We really don’t see a problem on food availability,” Littler said. “For the most part, the foods Canadians eat are from Canadian and North American suppliers. So I doubt there are bare shelves on a widespread basis and to the extent anything is in short supply, I’d attribute it more to the blockades.”

Americans also stocked up over the weekend, with reports of panic buying across the country. State health departments had urged residents to prepare for potential quarantines by buying supplies of non-perishable foods, prescription medication and sanitary supplies, said Sylvain Charlebois, the director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

In general, Americans tend to perceive and respond to food safety concerns differently, Charlebois said.

“I’ve seen this time and again,” he said. “It’s appropriate for people to have some food in the freezer. It’s sound and rational to have three days of inventory at any time for example. But we shouldn’t be overdoing it.”