Empty shelves at Flamborough grocery stores may be a new reality for the foreseeable future as COVID-19 cases increase across the province.

Waterdown's Sobeys and Fortinos were quieter Saturday than the previous day, when shoppers flocked to load up on non-perishables in what Waterdown Fortinos franchisee Miklos Kanalas described as an "unprecedented" rush for supplies.

As staff worked Saturday to restock items, customers still seemed mystified as to why certain items, like toilet paper, were sold out.

“I was in here yesterday, the lineups were going down the row, down across the back, up the side and back out just to get out,” said shopper Dan Jean-Marie, outside Fortinos on Hamilton Street North. "I just grabbed a few things and came out. We placed an order over at No Frills and half the stuff was missing,” he added, noting that the store was even out of flour.

According to John Prentice, people's response to the COVID-19 pandemic “is crazy.”

“I think it’s little bit overboard,” added Prentice's wife Marina.

The couple frequented the grocery store two two days in a row. "People are walking out with sacks and sacks of toilet paper. Why? The stores aren’t going to close, I don’t understand,” he said. “I’m 64, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life."

Many of the shelves carrying items such as canned goods, pastas, frozen pizzas, paper towels and tissue were bare.

“I was actually very surprised by the lack of people inside and lack of craziness from the last two days,” said Meghan Celetti.

“God bless (the) people that are working in the stores, they’re doing a great job of stocking up when they can,” said Prentice.