Several nations across the globe undergo forced lockdown to prevent the Coronavirus epidemic from spreading further. Governments are encouraging people to stay at home, only allowing them to venture out for essential supplies. Supermarkets, grocery stores and medicine shops are working round the clock to ensure a smooth supply chain of all the basic necessities. In spite of all this, a woman in Pennsylvania, USA, thought this would be a good time to try a practical joke in a distasteful nature.
Gerity's Supermarket, which is a grocery store chain, revealed in a Facebook post how the incident unfolded in their outlet in Hanover Township. Take a look at the viral post:
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The woman, who is said to be a 'chronic problem in the community' went to the supermarket's outlet and coughed on their fresh produce, including bakery items, meat and groceries. Although it is not clear if she is infected with Covid-19, the supermarket decided not to take any chances for their customer's health and to prevent a massive outbreak from their store. Joe Fasula, the store's co-owner wrote in the post, "We had no choice but to throw out all of the products she came in contact with."
The Hanover Township's health inspector came and helped the staff at the supermarket to identify the areas where the prankster was in. They then disposed off all the products in the areas, followed by thorough disinfection. The total loss to the supermarket chain is humongous, as Fasula said, "Although we have not yet quantified the total loss, we estimate the value to be well over $35,000." (Approximately more than INR 26 Lakhs.)
The staff of the supermarket worked hard for the next 24 hours to ensure that the supplies they had thrown away were back in stock. The case of the prank, meanwhile, has been escalated to the office of the District Attorney. The woman has been arrested and is being tested for Covid-19, and being pressed for charges. Netizens too agreed that the prank was no laughing matter, calling to reprimand the woman at the earliest.