新冠肺炎疫情引发了美国零钱短缺。美国各地银行的五分硬币、十分硬币、两角五分硬币甚至还有一分硬币都出现短缺。

Just as supplies of toilet paper are finally getting back to normal, the coronavirus has triggered another shortage of something we typically take for granted: pocket change.

Banks around the US are running low on nickels, dimes, quarters and even pennies.

And the Federal Reserve, which supplies banks, has been forced to ration scarce supplies.

During the lockdown, many automatic coin-sorting machines that people typically use to cash in loose change were off-limits.

And with many businesses closed, unused coins piled up in darkened cash drawers, in pants pockets and on nightstands, even as banks went begging.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that the central bank is monitoring the situation closely.

While a growing number of people rely on credit cards or smartphone apps for many transactions today, the coin crunch is a reminder that sometimes you just need change.