Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Panic shopping spreads to Tijuana

The city does nothing but share memes

Candy shops created COVID-19 piñatas with a crude drawing of the face of a Chinese man pasted on a virus-shaped piñata.
Candy shops created COVID-19 piñatas with a crude drawing of the face of a Chinese man pasted on a virus-shaped piñata.

“You look like a meme,” I told my friend Beto when I spotted him at the checkout line of my local Calimax with a cart full of toilet paper and paper towels on Friday the 13th. All the shelves in the store were as full as they usually were, including toiletries. Beto was the first person I noticed panic shopping in Tijuana, the rest of the patrons inside the Calimax had carts filled with their regular shopping.

“Well, you know I have a family and the stores are empty in San Diego,” replied Beto. Beto is a reverse border crosser, he lives in San Diego with his family but owns multiple businesses in Tijuana. “My neighbors are older folks; I’m buying extra for them as well.”

The newspaper El Mexicano reported 44 cases of COVID-19.

As the shelves were fully stocked, I did not concern myself with buying extra and left the store with only my breakfast ingredients.

Panic shopping spread slowly in Tijuana. News outlets reported that Americans were crossing the border to buy all the toilet paper (mainly at Costco by the border). Mexican grocery stores were quick to react and posted signs limiting buying by the bulk of certain items.

Mexican grocery stores posted signs limiting buying by the bulk of certain items.
  • “Dear Client: With the goal to serve the most families possible, with our current situation of COVID-19, and with less supply from our providers, we are under the necessity to limit the number of units per client.
  • Maximum 4 pieces of the following products:
  • Toilet paper and napkins.
  • Bottled Water.
  • Disinfectant products, cleaners, and bleach.
  • Canned tuna, canned vegetables, soups, and beans in any presentation.
  • Tetra Pak milk.
  • Cookies and Cereals.
  • We thanked your comprehension of this measure. Attentively, Grupo Calimax.”

Vendors in La Línea started selling toilet paper for idling cars waiting to cross. Mexican candy shops created COVID-19 piñatas with a crude drawing of the face of a Chinese man pasted on a virus-shaped piñata.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“Las vendimos todas bien rápido, solo hicimos seis. En la semana hacemos mas, (We sold them all fast. We only made six. We'll make more in the week.)”

Shelves with paper goods

That weekend, while most people in San Diego stayed at home, Tijuana was on full blast as it usually is. I couldn’t even find a seat at my favorite two dive bars Friday or Saturday night; my new favorite taco stand was open and serving delicious greasy dirty tacos. Sunday was calm in the city, but that’s normal for downtown Tijuana.

Monday was a different story when I went to Calimax to buy my regular breakfast ingredients, they were out of eggs. Not only out of eggs, but the toilet paper aisle was empty, the canned goods and pasta aisles were almost gone. The rest of the aisles were stocked, the checkout line was a slow disaster, but that’s usual.

I got worried for a quick minute, but then I walked to the Oxxo the next block over. They were fully stocked with eggs and toilet paper. I walked around all over downtown Tijuana checking tiendas and farmacias. They all had toilet paper, but I could not find hand sanitizer or face masks. Only around five out of 100 people were wearing face masks. Tourism seemed slower, I only saw a few Americans, but the city was still as active as ever.

“We canceled our weekend events, but besides that, our stores are open,” commented the manager of a strip mall that would rather not be named. “I’m wearing my mask because my wife will kill me if I don’t, but I’m not worried. There haven’t been any reported cases of death in Mexico. Murders are more common than death by the Corona.”

The newspaper El Mexicano reported 44 cases of COVID-19. Alonso Óscar Pérez, head of the health department for the state said 20 of those cases were discarded and the other 24 were awaiting test results. There have been 371 murders in Tijuana in 2020.

Some bars and restaurants have put up notices in their social media that they are still open and that they are serving drive-by or pickup orders. The soccer league, Liga MX, officially canceled matches in all of Mexico, but big events in Mexico City like the festival Vive Latino took place.

People still shake hands, greet by kissing on the cheek, and even share cigarettes. The president of Mexico was photographed kissing an infant on the cheek over the weekend.

I went to Calimax on Tuesday morning again, all the shelves were fully stocked, but the checkout line was a disaster.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Victorian Christmas Tours, Jingle Bell Cruises

Events December 22-December 25, 2024
Candy shops created COVID-19 piñatas with a crude drawing of the face of a Chinese man pasted on a virus-shaped piñata.
Candy shops created COVID-19 piñatas with a crude drawing of the face of a Chinese man pasted on a virus-shaped piñata.

“You look like a meme,” I told my friend Beto when I spotted him at the checkout line of my local Calimax with a cart full of toilet paper and paper towels on Friday the 13th. All the shelves in the store were as full as they usually were, including toiletries. Beto was the first person I noticed panic shopping in Tijuana, the rest of the patrons inside the Calimax had carts filled with their regular shopping.

“Well, you know I have a family and the stores are empty in San Diego,” replied Beto. Beto is a reverse border crosser, he lives in San Diego with his family but owns multiple businesses in Tijuana. “My neighbors are older folks; I’m buying extra for them as well.”

The newspaper El Mexicano reported 44 cases of COVID-19.

As the shelves were fully stocked, I did not concern myself with buying extra and left the store with only my breakfast ingredients.

Panic shopping spread slowly in Tijuana. News outlets reported that Americans were crossing the border to buy all the toilet paper (mainly at Costco by the border). Mexican grocery stores were quick to react and posted signs limiting buying by the bulk of certain items.

Mexican grocery stores posted signs limiting buying by the bulk of certain items.
  • “Dear Client: With the goal to serve the most families possible, with our current situation of COVID-19, and with less supply from our providers, we are under the necessity to limit the number of units per client.
  • Maximum 4 pieces of the following products:
  • Toilet paper and napkins.
  • Bottled Water.
  • Disinfectant products, cleaners, and bleach.
  • Canned tuna, canned vegetables, soups, and beans in any presentation.
  • Tetra Pak milk.
  • Cookies and Cereals.
  • We thanked your comprehension of this measure. Attentively, Grupo Calimax.”

Vendors in La Línea started selling toilet paper for idling cars waiting to cross. Mexican candy shops created COVID-19 piñatas with a crude drawing of the face of a Chinese man pasted on a virus-shaped piñata.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“Las vendimos todas bien rápido, solo hicimos seis. En la semana hacemos mas, (We sold them all fast. We only made six. We'll make more in the week.)”

Shelves with paper goods

That weekend, while most people in San Diego stayed at home, Tijuana was on full blast as it usually is. I couldn’t even find a seat at my favorite two dive bars Friday or Saturday night; my new favorite taco stand was open and serving delicious greasy dirty tacos. Sunday was calm in the city, but that’s normal for downtown Tijuana.

Monday was a different story when I went to Calimax to buy my regular breakfast ingredients, they were out of eggs. Not only out of eggs, but the toilet paper aisle was empty, the canned goods and pasta aisles were almost gone. The rest of the aisles were stocked, the checkout line was a slow disaster, but that’s usual.

I got worried for a quick minute, but then I walked to the Oxxo the next block over. They were fully stocked with eggs and toilet paper. I walked around all over downtown Tijuana checking tiendas and farmacias. They all had toilet paper, but I could not find hand sanitizer or face masks. Only around five out of 100 people were wearing face masks. Tourism seemed slower, I only saw a few Americans, but the city was still as active as ever.

“We canceled our weekend events, but besides that, our stores are open,” commented the manager of a strip mall that would rather not be named. “I’m wearing my mask because my wife will kill me if I don’t, but I’m not worried. There haven’t been any reported cases of death in Mexico. Murders are more common than death by the Corona.”

The newspaper El Mexicano reported 44 cases of COVID-19. Alonso Óscar Pérez, head of the health department for the state said 20 of those cases were discarded and the other 24 were awaiting test results. There have been 371 murders in Tijuana in 2020.

Some bars and restaurants have put up notices in their social media that they are still open and that they are serving drive-by or pickup orders. The soccer league, Liga MX, officially canceled matches in all of Mexico, but big events in Mexico City like the festival Vive Latino took place.

People still shake hands, greet by kissing on the cheek, and even share cigarettes. The president of Mexico was photographed kissing an infant on the cheek over the weekend.

I went to Calimax on Tuesday morning again, all the shelves were fully stocked, but the checkout line was a disaster.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Too $hort & DJ Symphony, Peppermint Beach Club, Holidays at the Zoo

Events December 19-December 21, 2024
Next Article

Victorian Christmas Tours, Jingle Bell Cruises

Events December 22-December 25, 2024
Comments
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 19, 2020
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 19, 2020
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 20, 2020
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 21, 2020
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 29, 2020
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader