5@5: Trump administration advises Americans to avoid food shopping | Grocery store workers begin dying from COVID-195@5: Trump administration advises Americans to avoid food shopping | Grocery store workers begin dying from COVID-19

Trump warns 'one of the toughest weeks is ahead'

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, is advising Americans to avoid going to the grocery store or pharmacy over the next two weeks. Officials anticipate that the three U.S. hot spots for the virus—New York, Detroit and Louisiana—will reach their peaks in the next six or seven days. Read more at NPR…

Grocery store workers are beginning to die of COVID-19

A Trader Joe's worker in New York, a greeter at a Giant store in Maryland and two Walmart employees in Chicago have reportedly died of COVID-19. Many grocery store workers natonwide are reporting longer shifts and heavier workloads, but less protective gear than is necessary to avoid being infected by shoppers. Read more at The Washington Post...

Distillers urge FDA to revise rules on hand sanitizer to keep up with demand

Hand sanitizer is fairly simple to make, but federal rules requiring such products to be mixed with expensive chemicals are preventing distilleries' emergency efforts to meet the current demand for them. The process, called denaturing, discourages consumers from drinking the sanitizer, but now sourcing the denaturant has become a huge obstacle with regard to production. Read more at The Counter…

Food kitchens, a last refuge for the hungry, struggle to meet demand

Maintaining staff and volunteers has become difficult for organizations that serve food to those in need. And unfortunately the amount of hungry and out-of-work people is still trending sharply upwards, with some food banks also reporting an uptick in conflicts between those waiting in line. Read more at Civil Eats…

Two Iowa meat plants close as coronavirus outbreak spreads

Tyson Foods and National Beef Packing Company separately decided to suspend slaughtering to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among employees. Reduced meat output by these and other companies threatens to keep certain hot commodities off of shelves as consumers continue stocking up on groceries. Read more at The Counter…