NYC drug store shelves are left empty at CVS, Duane Reade and Walgreens due to mounting supply chain crisis Shelves in pharmacies across New York City have been left nearly barren because supplies are not getting through amid an ongoing global squeeze. Stores such as CVS, Walgreens and Duane Reade are all running very low on goods. Supplies are being held up on cargo ships that are taking up to four weeks to dock at US ports. A lack of manpower to unload them and to drive goods around the US is causing a giant backlog. Experts have warned the government to intervene or face spiraling inflation and unemployment, as rocketing demand for goods in short supply pushes their prices up. US consumers have already seen prices of everyday items rise in recent months, with economists warning of an extended period of inflation that will push up the cost of living. 'It looks like the Third World,' one Manhattan resident complained to the New York Post. The backlog of billions of dollars of toys, clothing, electronics, vehicles, and furniture came amid surges caused in 2020 by the onset of COVID. The United States has since largely returned to normal life - but demand for goods has surged as people get the hang of returning to normal. Americans who were able to save money during COVID lockdowns are now splashing the cash, with that raised demand further credited with pushing up prices. The trillions of dollars of COVID relief printed to help people put out of work by the pandemic has also been blamed for inflation. Supply chains have lagged far behind consumer demand due to a lack of manpower at American ports and the restrictions that came with the COVID-19 outbreak early last year. These constraints, which include social distancing and mandatory quarantines, have severely limited the number and ability of port workers to do their jobs. 'Global infrastructure was not designed to handle goods at such a rate,' a logistics expert, who asked not to be named, told DailyMail.com. 'Supply chains are the artery who feeds our entire ecosystem. The government needs to intervene to stop this crisis immediately, or face increased inflation and unemployment, and economic breakdown - or face an end to global trade.'
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