COVID-19 surge leads to panic buying in Victoria, but SA supply to remain intact
Supermarket shelves have been stripped bare of essential items as people start a second wave of panic buying in Victoria, but what does it mean for supply in SA?
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Victorian supermarkets are again having their shelves stripped of toilet paper and other necessities as panic buying sets in due to the state’s second wave of coronavirus.
As Victoria struggles to contain a surge in coronavirus cases, its residents have done what they know how to do – stocked up on hand sanitiser, flour, pasta, rice and mince.
But there’s good news, South Australia’s supermarket supply is expected to remain intact.
In a statement to The Advertiser, Woolworths said: “We’re seeing normal levels of demand in SA at the moment”.
“We’ll continue to keep a close eye on our stock levels over the coming days.”
Global toilet paper company Kimberly-Clark, based near Millicent, acknowledged recent reports of “panic buying” interstate, but a spokeswoman said it “has not impacted any of our categories at this stage”.
“We have sufficient levels of supply and don’t anticipate any shortages,” the spokeswoman said.
“We will continue to monitor this closely and will work with our retail partners accordingly.”
Drakes supermarkets director John-Paul Drake said SA customers are more “level-headed” and hopes they have learned there’s no reason to stockpile.
“In the aftermath of the first wave, I’m happy to say that our warehouse and stores are 98 per cent replenished on essential items,” Mr Drake said.
“Our supplier partners are still catching up on second tier products, but our store supply is just about back to normal.”
Mr Drake confirmed there are no purchase limits in his supermarkets.
“We’re starting to see customer buying patterns go back to normal as restrictions continue to ease in SA.”
Coles supermarkets across Victoria have reintroduced product limits on all staple items, including just one packet of toilet paper per customer.
It comes as the military was called in and other states asked for help to control the wave of coronavirus cases.
The state has had 128 new cases of COVID-19 in the past week, with 20 cases and a death recorded yesterday.
The man in his 80s was Australia’s first coronavirus death in more than a month, bringing the state’s death toll to 20 and nationally to 103.
Of the state’s 20 new cases, nine were identified through routine testing, seven are linked to known outbreaks and one is a returned traveller in hotel quarantine. Three cases remain under investigation.
The Australian Defence Force, as well as NSW, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland have now all been enlisted to help.
It’s understood Victoria has requested about 500 ADF personnel, who will assist with emergency management, logistics and hotel quarantine, with further details to be worked out.
At least 33 staff working at quarantine hotels have been infected with COVID-19.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the federal health and defence departments were working with Emergency Management Australia to “to expedite a request for assistance from Victoria”.
South Australia sent a team of coronavirus contact tracers to Melbourne on Tuesday.