linnugripiblog

jahah, optimistlik kutt see intervjueeritav :)
pandeemia erinevus nt maavärinast on just see, et ei kuskilt abi kutsuda .. kõik riigid ja piirkonnad on korraga hädas ja omade probleemidega maadlemas

Key concern for grocers will be fresh shipments link

Grocers should expect a spike in demand during a pandemic, said Tim Hammonds, president and CEO of the Food Marketing Institute, which represents food retailers and wholesalers.

The institute hasn't devised a plan for a pandemic, Hammonds said, but he expects a health care emergency plan to be incorporated into the industry's overall disaster preparation. Supermarkets including H-E-B, Albertsons, Randall's and Whole Foods declined to comment on their emergency plans.

Stores would have time to stockpile key supplies, including water, face masks, canned goods, frozen foods, batteries, vitamins, cold remedies and other items, Hammonds said. But fresh food supplies might be tight, he said.

In general, stores get several deliveries a week, but if many truckers were out sick, he said, regions not being hit by the pandemic could help those under siege.

"There is a lot of excess capacity and flexibility built in there," he said. Pharmacy chains can reroute supplies immediately when demand increases, said Karen Reagan, vice president of the Texas Retailers Association, which represents groceries and pharmacies. After Hurricane Katrina brought evacuees to Texas, CVS, Wal-Mart, Walgreens and H-E-B cooperated to set up pharmacies in evacuation centers, she said.

Vaccinating truck drivers would be crucial for maintaining supplies of many essential goods, said Bill Webb, president and chief executive officer of the Texas Motor Transportation Association. Food, water and fuel shipments would be top priorities, he said. Given the fragmented nature of the trucking industry, with 40,000 companies and 300,000 commercial drivers, "it would be difficult" to come up with a comprehensive and binding emergency plan, he said.

The association has worked with state emergency preparedness officials on tabletop exercises focusing on bioterrorism, and that planning could be applied to a pandemic, Webb said.