Less than a week into the spread of coronavirus in Michigan, Attorney General Dana Nessel already was investigating dozens of consumer complaints of price gouging.

Scoundrels.

A public health emergency like this one is a time to come together, to help each other where we can, and for us all to do our part to get through.

But it seems opportunists will take advantage of any situation to make an extra buck.

To combat the problem, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order prohibiting anyone from buying products at a retailer and reselling it “at a price that is grossly in excess of the purchase price” and prohibiting retailers from hiking prices more than 20% over the price they charged on March 9.

Nessel, meanwhile, is encouraging residents to report suspected price gouging to her Consumer Protection hotline at 877-765-8388.

We hope our Northeast Michigan retailers won’t participate in such dastardly behavior, and we encourage all residents to keep an eye out for price gouging and report it immediately to the AG’s Office.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)