SCRANTON, Pa. — Forget toilet paper; alcohol is an essential some adults in Scranton thought was worth stocking upon.
"I wanted to make sure I had a little joy to take me through the next couple weeks!" said Stan Hale of Scranton, as he made a last-minute run to Fine Wine & Good Spirits on Meadow Avenue.
The store in Scranton had a steady flow of customers for its final day of business for at least two weeks.
Governor Wolf ordered all the state's liquor stores close in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
At the same time, many of the customers are looking at at least two weeks of isolation at home.
By the end of Tuesday, they will lose their access to a helpful coping mechanism.
"When we saw it was empty, we came and ran in and grabbed stuff. Being home stuck with the kids for a couple weeks, we had to stock up a little bit!" said Jennifer Antequara of Scranton.
Given that every Fine Wine & Good Spirits store in the state is closing on St. Patrick's Day, whiskey was a very popular item.
"Just staying at home, make a nice meal, probably some ham and cabbage and a little wine with it, said Peggy Shoemaker when asked about her alternative plan for the holiday.
For many customers, the state-run liquor stores shutting down shows how serious the outbreak is; few remembered a scenario quite like this.
"I'm not quite sure what to make of anything, I remember when there was a gas shortage in the '70s, and I was just learning how to drive," said Marilyn Gregorowicz of Spring Brook Township.
But, just like in the past, customers said we'll get through this and might as well try to make the best of it.
"We're going to be hunkered down for quite a while, so we just want to make it as comfortable as possible and enjoy the rough times," Shoemaker added.
All the Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores were ordered to close by 9 p.m. Tuesday.