Photo by Karin Elton Stores are experiencing shortages of certain items as more and more people either are or are planning to practice ‘social distancing’ to curtail exposure to the COVID-19 illness.

MARSHALL — Shoppers in Marshall and across the nation rushed into stores buying large quantities of toilet paper and hand sanitizers.

Empty shelves that once contained these products were empty in the major stores in Marshall.

Meanwhile, area coffee shops and restaurants made changes to protect employees and customers from the coronavirus.

Aside from no longer filling reusable commuter or travel mugs for customers, it’s “business as usual” for Marshall coffee shops so far during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’ve stopped letting people bring in their commuter mugs to fill,” said Tina Sturgeon, assistant manager at MainStay coffee shop in Marshall, a locally-owned business. “We won’t fill a mug that they’ve brought from home. It’s better to be safe than sorry, we feel.” Sturgeon added that the corporate coffee chains are doing the same thing.

Starbucks customers may no longer use their own cups at the coffee chain, which cited concerns about the coronavirus outbreak in announcing the change in policy, according to its website, starbucks.com .

The local Starbucks outlet in Hy-Vee is following suit.

“For the time being, we are not allowing customers to use personal/reusable cups to refill fountain drinks, tea or coffee in any of our convenience stores or dining areas,” said Christian Gayman, public relations director for Hy-Vee. “If you have a cup that allows for a discount, we will certainly apply the discount, but we need our customers to use a new cup each time. Our corporate partner Starbucks has already implemented a very similar practice for its coffee refills inside our stores.”

Bagels and Brew on East College Drive in Marshall has instituted the policy as well.

“We’re not filling travel cups as a precaution,” said Stef Cunningham, a barista at Bagels and Brew.

Both MainStay and Bagels and Brew have not experienced a decline in customers.

Sturgeon said business volume was typical for late winter/early spring.

“So far everything has been pretty average for this time of year,” she said.

Reduced patronage would be detrimental to employees, Sturgeon said.

“A slow down in the service industry would hurt employees who rely on tips,” she said.

Also, employees who are sick must stay home, but they don’t have benefits such as sick pay.

“But we are doing the best we can,” she said. “We are taking it day by day. We have to.”

Meanwhile, Pizza Ranch, which as a restaurant in Marshall, posted a Facebook message informing customers it has created a task force to meet daily to monitor and follow the latest guidelines laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local health officials.

“All of our restaurants and FunZone Arcades have been equipped with additional procedures for follow including the increased usage of gloves, increased frequency of hand washing, cleaning and sanitizing process,” the post stated.

Hy-Vee stores are experiencing an increase in orders for the demand for the Aisles Online delivery program.

The website has a notice, “Due to a recent increase in demand for Aisles Online services, your preferred Aisles Online time slot may not be available. Please be prepared to choose a different time slot or place your order earlier than usual to get your preferred time.”

Hy-Vee also reported shortages in its stores such as toilet paper tissue and rice. The store stated it is working closely with suppliers.

Hy-Vee also said it has temporarily closed all self-serve buffets. Instead food will be done behind the counter. The sampling program also has been discontinued.