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LAS CRUCES – In the checkout aisle at the Walmart Supercenter on Walton Boulevard Thursday morning, a man was purchasing a three-pack of Lysol disinfecting wipes. Another shopper — a middle-aged woman – approached him and asked where he’d found it.

“In automotive,” he replied with a smile. And off she and her shopping companions went — to the automotive section, presumably.

Elsewhere in the store, the shelves beneath a sign that read “Disinfecting Wipes” were entirely bare. In the toiletries section, near the hand soap, an employee could be heard telling two shoppers the store had run out of hand sanitizer.

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At several stores around Las Cruces, hand sanitizer and other products were difficult to find. Some stores were running low on bottled water and certain dry goods, like beans and rice.

It’s a scene that has been playing out across the country in recent days, amid fears of a possible new coronavirus pandemic.

State health officials on Thursday said there is no reason New Mexicans should be excessively shopping, and no cases of COVID-19 had been discovered in the state as of Thursday afternoon.

“We understand that New Mexicans are concerned about the COVID-19 (virus),” said David Morgan, media and social media manager for the New Mexico Department of Health. “But there certainly is not any need to be doing any massive stock-up, or buying a disproportionate amount of products.”

The NMDOH on Thursday held a news conference at Las Cruces City Hall, where health officials discussed the state’s preparations for the virus.

“This is a situation that has not gotten out of control — at all,” Morgan added. “This is a situation where we currently have no cases in New Mexico. While we understand people’s concern, they certainly do not need to be buying up all of the stock in all of the stores all at once.”

Some items in short supply

Aside from hand sanitizer and disinfectants, some area stores were noticeably low on certain items.

At the Walmart on Walton Boulevard, it was apparent that shoppers had been stocking up on some ice cream products, frozen taquitos and chicken pot pies, as well as beans, rice, and canned soups and meats — like salmon, tuna and chicken.

It appeared the store had recently put out a new shipment of bottled water and ramen, as both were in healthy supply.

It appeared shoppers had been stocking up on paper towels and toilet paper — which has been reported all across the country.

At the Walmart Neighborhood Market, 150 Sonoma Ranch Blvd., the shelves were well-stocked Thursday morning — except it was still difficult to find hand sanitizer, and it was apparent shoppers had been buying a lot of bottled water. Save Mart, at 495 N. Valley Dr., was also well-stocked, including hard-to-find items like disinfectant wipes.

Business as usual at Toucan Market

At Toucan Market, 1701 #1 E. University Ave., owner Bob Baur said the store had not seen much of a spike. But, given that the University-area grocery store specialized in higher-end groceries, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

“I don’t think they’re going to buy a whole bunch of perishables,” Baur said. “I think people like to come in here and get their meats and produce fresh daily. I’ll be downline from (other stores). If they run out, then people will come in here.”

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Baur said many of his customers are empty-nesters — only preparing meals for two — or student from New Mexico State University, located across the street. Students, Baur believes, are not likely to stock up, as they have limited space to store groceries.

“It makes a huge difference,” Baur said.

If a case of coronavirus is diagnosed in New Mexico, Baur said he believes he might begin to see more people stocking up.

“We bought a little bit extra of rice and beans, just to be prepared for that, and a palate of drinking water,” Baur said. “But I think New Mexicans are hearing in the news that there have been no cases in New Mexico yet.”

For the latest information

Morgan said New Mexicans can find the latest available information on the Department of Health’s website.

“On our coronavirus webpage at NMHealth.org there is a list of frequently asked questions,” Morgan said. “We also will be adding a way through which people can just send questions to us, as well. And we’ll be able to create our own frequently asked questions list and get those questions answered for the constituents as soon as possible.”

The department’s coronavirus page also links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on COVID-19 preparedness, as well as to information from the World Health Organization.

Damien Willis is a Lead Reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached at 575-541-5443, dwillis@lcsun-news.com or @DamienWillis on Twitter.