Drivers form mile-long lines for food bank after being banned from turning up in person to stop spread of coronavirus
- Motorists waited on a mile-long line Monday for a drive-up emergency food distribution at a Duquesne food bank to meet social distancing requirements
- The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, considered essential during the deadly coronavirus outbreak, was giving away only 1,500 food boxes
- Food bank officials had to cancel normal food distributions and decided not to have volunteers at its warehouse because of the deadly flu-like virus
- So many people turned out for drive-up distribution that local police set up portable toilets every 3/10ths of a mile to handle the large crowds
- Pennsylvania has almost 3,400 confirmed cases, the CDC reports. Pittsburgh has had 290 confirmed cases and two deaths, say state health officials
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
Motorists were forced to wait on a mile-long line for a drive-up emergency food distribution set up in Pittsburgh Monday to meet social distancing requirements due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, had only 1500 food boxes as local police set up portable toilets every 3/10ths of a mile to handle the large crowds who showed up.
The food bank, which is about 10 miles outside Pittsburgh and serves 11 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, is considered an essential facility during containment efforts underway to slow the spread of the deadly flu-like virus, also known as COVID-19.
Motorists were forced to wait on a mile-long line (pictured) for a drive-up emergency food distribution set up in Pittsburgh Monday to meet social distancing requirements due to the coronavirus outbreak
The Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, had only 1,500 food boxes as local police set up portable toilets every 3/10ths of a mile to handle the large crowds who showed up. Vehicles are shown waiting online for the distribution Monday
Motor vehicles pull up to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank’s emergency distribution on Monday. The food bank, which is about 10 miles outside Pittsburgh and serves 11 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, is considered an essential facility during the outbreak
However, officials at the non-profit have had to cancel several food distributions and not have volunteers at its warehouse to meet mandates set up by health officials in response to the virus, WTAE reports.
The measures come as the food bank moves to protect its staff and the community from unnecessary exposure.
The U.S. tally of coronavirus cases and deaths
That means the food bank has had to work on better allocation of employees’ work time to pack food boxes and sort donations, as well as increased sanitization.
‘Every food drive donation that comes through our doors requires a staff or volunteer to sort, organize and repack,’ said Lisa Scales, president and CEO of the food bank, in a press release.
‘With our current temporary restriction of volunteers at our warehouse and the need to get food to our neighbors experiencing hunger in a timely and safe fashion, we are requesting monetary donations in lieu of food donations at this time.’
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There have been more than 161,000 confirmed cases in the US of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for more than 2,900 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pennsylvania has almost 3,400 confirmed cases, the CDC reports.
Pittsburgh has had 290 confirmed cases and two deaths, says the Pennsylvania Department of Health.