WINNIPEG -- While there have been no laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba, some in the province are still preparing for possible self-quarantines.
Emergency preparedness planners have some common advice: stock up on non-perishable foods, medicine and entertainment to last for two weeks. Another important tip – relax and don't panic.
If Onalee Ames is sent into a coronavirus-related quarantine, she said she'll be ready.
Ames has been on the hunt for supplies, including disinfectant wipes, bags of latex gloves, medicine and boxes of zinc lozenges.
"It's a bit much for just me, so I was going to share it. The excess of everything is for that," Ames told CTV News.
She's not alone. People across North America have been emptying store shelves. In particularly short supply is toilet paper.
"I need to know that when I need toilet paper, a fresh roll, I've got it," said Jodi Brown, who bought six packages of toilet paper in Edmonton. "People are buying all this toilet paper, so I feel like I need to too."
But should a quarantine happen in Manitoba, what supplies do Manitobans really need?
Michelle Ford, an emergency management co-ordinator for the Canadian Red Cross, said there isn't anything special. She suggests building an emergency kit with non-perishable foods, water and medicine.
"I don't think you have to go buy anything special or anything in particular. These are all things that you would already have in your home that you need. You just need a little bit more of it," she said.
While it is important to get food that lasts, the Red Cross said Manitobans should also get items they actually enjoy eating.
Shelley Napier, an emergency management consultant, encouraged Manitobans to have a buddy system in place, and added it is important not to panic.
"We've dealt with other viruses and pandemics in the past. It's time to slow down, practice common sense, and basically be realistic about what we can do about this, which is wait and see," she said.
