Panic buying back on in Victoria

[imastawka]

 Here we go again.  

Coles and Woolworths have reintroduced limits on products in Victoria due to a spike in panic buying.

Shoppers will once again only be be restricted on how much toilet paper they can buy in supermarkets across the state.

A Woolworths spokesman said the company had reimposed a two per-person limit on another of essential items across its Victorian stores on Wednesday afternoon.

The limits apply to toilet paper, hand sanitiser, paper towel, flour, sugar, pasta, mince, UHT milk, eggs and rice. The limits will also apply to online order.

The move comes as concerned residents strip some stores of the essential items as they face the possibility of mandatory lockdown amid an outbreak of COVID-19 cases in outer-suburban Melbourne

There was an additional 20 cases confirmed on Wednesday. An 80-year-old man also died on Tuesday night from COVID-19 in Victoria.  

A Coles shopper snapped a picture inside the store in Craigieburn, Melbourne, showing a sign informing customers they can only buy four packs of toilet paper.  

The move is in response to 'significantly elevated demand seen over the past 24 hours in certain parts of Melbourne'. 

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said they 'won't rule out' reintroducing stay at home orders for coronavirus hotspots. 

'Our government has said that if the public health advice from our experts is to reintroduce stay at home legal directions, in particular locations we will consider doing that,' Ms Mikakos told ABC Radio National Breakfast. 

'Clearly some people think the pandemic is over. It's not over. We want people to remain at a heightened sense of awareness about physical distancing.' 

On Tuesday, tensions were already on the rise in COVID-19 hot spots from Melbourne's west to east. 

One Brimbank resident told Daily Mail Australia he had heard about people stockpiling again on morning radio and had come down to the shops to grab some rolls before they vanished. 

Reports spread quickly that a local shopping centre within the same municipality had already run out of the product.

More here -

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/coles-and-woolworths-reintroduce-shopping-limits-after-coro...

[davewil1964]

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@ecar3483 wrote:

Not again... Will they ever learn?

More to the point, even though the ACT's been "clear" for days, now, what do you think the chances are that when I toddle over to the shops next week, that there won't be "restriction" signs in place...

It seems the only thing that spreads faster than the virus is the hysteria whipped up by the virus...

Stay well...

🙂

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Weeks.

I have a lot of issues with the ACT government, but they are not afaik proposing any rollback of restrictions.

The actions of the general uninformed public are a wonder to behold, though.

[springyzone]

I heard that too. dreary, isn't it. I was just getting to enjoy wandering the supermarket without having to worry about toilet paper & flour etc

Everyone will be on the bandwagon though because they see others doing it and from the experience last time, don't want to miss out.

I am really glad the supermarkets have jumped on it immediately but disappointed Aldi hasn't introduced limits.

Luckily for me, I foresaw this exact scenario so  each time I have finished a pack, I have bought a new pack to store in the laundry. I currently have 5 packs there (I supplied the kids during March/April). 

I'm good for flour and pasta too.

So with luck, we should be right.

With the toilet paper though, guess it just means I need to go back to rationing the squares rather than rolling it out with gay abandon.

[lyhargr_0]

I shop every 2 -3 weeks, so wont be going near the shops until Fri, it will be interesting to see what they have left

[davidc4430]

lets start a rumor the govt is going to introduce ration books

[snow*jewel]

I hear it's catching on other states like N.S.W now. 

[sandypebbles]

The bog paper roll section was about half empty when I went in this morning (NSW), I saw several people walking out with literally trolley loads each too 

[imastawka]

How are they getting trolley loads?

Coles and Woolies are rationing - or so they say.

[sandypebbles]

No idea, either they are too busy to notice/care or it's not been implimented up here yet

[snow*jewel]

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@imastawka wrote:

How are they getting trolley loads?

Coles and Woolies are rationing - or so they say.

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Only Victoria have implemented the limits as yet.

Won't be long until they will need to extend that to other states by the looks of it. 

[imastawka]

Methinks they better hurry up, then.