SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The coronavirus outbreak is making hand sanitizers hard to find at Syracuse-area stores.

Medical experts say the best ways to protect yourself from getting the coronavirus is to wash your hands frequently and to use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

A check of store shelves around the Syracuse area by The Post-Standard | syracuse.com on Monday morning found that while soap, including anti-bacterial soap, is in plentiful supply, hand sanitizers are not.

On Route 31 in Clay, for example, the Price Chopper, Wegmans and Walmart stores were out of hand sanitizer. Employees at the stores said customers scooped up their stock of the product over the weekend.

The Walgreens store on Route 57 in Clay was also out of hand sanitizer. However, the Wegmans and Tops supermarkets on Route 57 still had bottles of hand sanitizer on their shelves.

Phil Caruso, a spokesperson for Walgreens, said the drug-store chain has seen increased demand for hand sanitizer because of the coronavirus.

“We’re continuing to work with our suppliers to best meet the needs of our customers,” he said.

Casey Staheli, a spokesperson for Walmart, issued the following statement:

“We continue to monitor the development of the coronavirus situation globally and are closely following official recommendations while working with our suppliers to understand and mitigate any supply chain disruptions. Providing customers with the products they want and need remains our focus.”

Deana Percassi, a spokesperson for Wegmans, said the supermarket chain is seeing “increased sales on items customers tend to stock up on during flu season, like hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial soap, and cleaning supplies.”

“As we monitor the situation, we’re prepared to increase orders across all departments, to ensure we can meet the needs of our employees and customers,” she said in a statement.

For shoppers who cannot find hand sanitizer in stores, here’s how to make your own with supplies you probably have at home:

Coronavirus supplies: How to make hand sanitizer with ingredients you have at home

Many local stores have reported a run on face masks, too.

Face masks fly off shelves in Central New York as fear of coronavirus grows

However, medical experts say face masks offer little protection from the virus.

Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148

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