MOSES LAKE — Eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, grocery store toilet paper shelves are looking a lot like they did in April, for largely the same reasons: supply chains are stable, but a spike in hoarding and panic buying is driving the temporary shortages, experts say.

Those shelves have been cleared in some statewide stores, said Tammie Hetrick, who in recent days took over as president and CEO of the Washington Food Industry Association.

“When people start hoarding, that’s when things get out of control,” Hetrick said. “We’re seeing the supply is available, it just might look a little different.”

Gov. Jay Inslee announced a slate of new restrictions Sunday, including requirements for grocery stores and other retailers to limit occupancy to 25% of capacity, effective Monday at 11:59 p.m.

In announcing those restrictions, Inslee pleaded with shoppers to resist the urge to buy up supplies.

“Buying up everything really hurts everybody, and there’s no necessity of it right now,” Inslee said.

However, some varieties of products may not be as available in stores – there might be more two-packs than twelve-packs of a shopper’s favorite brand of toilet paper – but the supply chain for essentials has largely remained stable, Hetrick said. If shoppers are seeing empty shelves, it’s because the supplies are being bought faster than the stores can restock, Hetrick added.

Emry Dinman can be reached via email at edinman@columbiabasinherald.com.