A few things you might find useful.
I live in Manhattan, which is pretty much the epicenter (NYC) of the worst pandemic outbreak in the country. The concept of "social distancing" takes on new meaning in a city where, on a subway during rush hour, you're lucky to have 6mm of social distance let alone six feet.
So things have changed radically in the last two weeks.
Lockdown is really a voluntary concept here. The police have far too much else to do rather than ask people if they're going shopping or to a pharmacy. Besides, every restaurant and bar is closed. Almost all stores are closed. Traffic yes, traffic jams? Not in my neighborhood (though I live in the most densely populated residential part of "the city," as we like to call Manhattan). People have been mostly staying in. New Yorkers are surprisingly good about handling emergency situations.
Shopping and laundromats are open, but now only a small number of people can go in at one time. You are given a ticket, which is time stamped. You have 30 minutes to shop. If you exceed that, the checkout people will not check you out. They have put tape on the floor to mark out each 6 feet, which means lines for the cashiers extend into the grocery aisles. There was absolute immediate hoarding the first two weeks of March, worse than what I saw immediately after 9/11 (and yes, I was here for that, and for the blackout in the early 2000s). The hoarding has eased up -- Manhattan is notorious for its minuscule kitchens--so people are probably living with relatively full larders (well so to speak, a "larder" would probably be registered as a bedroom, which would allow the landlord to charge much more rent for the same space). But the price gouging has already started: I had to pay $5 for a dozen jumbo eggs earlier in the week. NOTHING is on sale anymore.
So, if you have the storage and fridge/freezer space, stock up not just on food that will last (canned and dried foods), but normally 'perishable' items like bread that can be frozen. I've switched to what is commonly known as a "non-dairy creamer" for my coffee, because milk has flown off the shelves. You might want to stock up on a canister or 5 of them (if you wind up not using them, donate them to a local AA meeting--they could use them). Also be aware that all stores WILL cut their hours drastically. This also means there WILL be long long lines to get into the store (one supermarket here, the wait just to get in was estimated by the store employee who monitored the line to be a minimum of 2-3 hours). Plan ahead.
Laundry. Well laundromats have been EXTREMELY problematic. Because the number of people allowed into a building at one time is now being severely restricted, a laundromat is very problematic. Solution: I'm wearing as little as possible at home (and trust me, I was raised an Irish Catholic, so the word "exhibitionism" is NOT in my personal vocabulary). And I'm handwashing clothes, wringing them out, and letting them dry in the shower overnight. All those documentaries I've watched about "life on a medieval/Tudor/Victorian farm" have come in handy. For those of you who live in areas not yet on lockdown and don't have a washer/dryer, keep that in mind. Or else you will have to devote the good part of a FULL DAY to laundry, a day where you will be in a public space with its associated dangers of exposure.
The bank. There were probably about 15 branches of my bank in my immediate neighborhood. 98% have closed, including their ATM machines. I had a two hour wait today on a line outside the bank to get access to the ATM machine. And I was one of the lucky ones. People behind me online were told "The bank is closed. Sorry." Just something to keep in mind, particularly if are, like me, averse to using credit cards (I don't have any). Also remember that cash is notorious for being germ-laden, so be sure to wipe it down when you get home with a mixture of bleach and water. No, I'm not kidding.
But we're coping. I said on another thread that at 7PM every night, people have opened their windows or gone out on their stoops and cheered for all the people who are putting their health at risk by working to keep things running. And those of us who are clapping and yelling are actually doing things like smiling at each other and waving. Last night, someone put speakers out their window and blasted Frank Sinatra's version of New York New York. And it seems like everyone who was out clapping started singing along. It felt very Life Affirming.
So just a small taste of how life has changed in the middle of a lockdown. Hope you find it helpful.
)
Only a few things are hard to get here, and the limits are strict, so we can still get most everything except hand sanitiser. We do have a startling number of gift soaps in drawers and cupboards, starting to actually use them...
Or the good old English Jaffa cakes 
) Glad to hear even very elderly people can live through the illness 
