Arizona’s National Guard is fighting coronavirus by filling grocery shelves.

Gov. Doug Ducey said the state is employing them to help with the most immediate need — dealing with empty shelves for basic provisions.

“They’re not going to be grocery store workers. They’re going to close the gap in terms of what was missing," Ducey said.

The governor said with the Guard helping to direct distribution, each store can be fully stocked, and stores can stay supplied as long as people spread out their shopping trips.

“If you’re going to go shopping, buy a week’s worth of groceries once a week. If you’ll do that, you’ll come back the next week, and the shelves will be full," Ducey said.

He said once store supplies stabilize, the Guard can be used for other purposes, such as helping hospitals with supplies and facilities.