Residents of at least two states scrambling to stock up on booze are in for a rude awakening Wednesday morning as the coronavirus shutters nonessential business across the country.
All of the liquor stores in Pennsylvania and Alabama are state-owned, and as people are hunkering down amid the pandemic, their options for hard liquor are quickly drying up.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board board announced this week that all Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores in the state are closed indefinitely, effective last night, in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The online portal to purchase liquor was shuttered on Monday night at 5 p.m. EDT.
“This was a tremendously difficult decision to make, and we understand the disruption our store closures will have on consumers and licensees across the commonwealth,” wrote Pennsylvania Board Chairman Tim Holden in a press release. “But in these uncertain and unprecedented times, the public health crisis and mitigation effort must take priority over the sale of wine and spirits, as the health and safety of our employees and communities is paramount.”
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Videos circulating on social media showed massive lines of people attempting to stock up on their favorite brands before the closures on Tuesday.
But Pennsylvanians won’t be without options to purchase alcohol as they are still able to buy beer at grocery stores and convenience stores throughout the state. Grocery stores and restaurants with licenses also have a share in the wine market.
The PLCB will reconsider the liquor ban at the end of March. In the meantime, liquor sales in Delaware are spiking.
Down south in Alabama, the ABC Board announced on Tuesday that all 78 state-owned liquor stores would close the same day, that residents will only be allowed to pick up liquor through curbside service, and that customers will be limited to one 750-mL bottle of wine, one 750-mL bottle of spirits, or a six-pack of beer.
The novel coronavirus strand has shuttered businesses across the country, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned on Wednesday that unemployment could skyrocket to as much as 20% if conditions do not improve.
