Coronavirus panic hits Sydney suburban supermarkets
Panic over the COVID-19 coronavirus has hit Sydney’s suburbs with doomsday preppers clearing supermarket shelves of several specific items following shortages in Japan and Hong Kong.
NSW
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Coronavirus concerns have flushed out Sydney’s doomsday preppers, with toilet paper flying off the shelves at local supermarkets and groceries over the weekend.
Retailers across the Sydney basin were rolling out of loo paper on Sunday following shortages in Japan and Hong Kong and overseas officials advising people to pick up a two-week supply of provisions. Bulk-buy store Costco’s Lidcombe franchise sold out of toilet tissue by midmorning, and other stores’ shelves were close to bare with crowds clearing out everyday items at a rapid rate.
In Coles Turramurra shoppers made short work of the remaining bathroom supplies. A male customer with a fully loaded trolley told The Daily Telegraph that Sydneysiders would be “foolish” not to worry about coronavirus and any product shortages the outbreak might bring.
“You’d have to be a fool to not be concerned,” he said.
“We’re taking as much as we can, dog food and long life products, toilet paper included. We want to be sensible about it so we know we’re ready. It’s only a matter of time before we’re all confined to our houses and working from home.”
Woolworths Hornsby was also subjected to potty panic as both premium and penny pincher-priced rolls were shoved into stocked trolleys by residents preparing for the worst. Female Woolies shopper Jenny said that the virus crisis would “only get worse before it got better”.
“People are losing their minds out here, but I think it’s good to err on the side of caution,” she said.
“It’s always better to be prepared, even if some take it too far.”
Face masks were in short supply, with none available to shoppers at the aforementioned locations. Priceline in Hornsby Westfield was spotted selling a limited quantity of masks, with packs of five surgical masks selling for $22. A bulk package containing over 100 masks is available online via retailer Amazon for just $7.60 extra at $29.60AUD.
Coles Epping faced near-empty shelves as coronavirus-fearing customers ransacked the store’s toilet roll supplies. Shopper Carina’s partner has an auto-immune disease and his added vulnerability to the virus made sure she “didn’t think twice” about gathering emergency supplies.
“A few weeks again if you’d asked me I wouldn’t have done it, I’m not a prepper in the slightest but now you just don’t know,” she said.
“We’ve got everything from dog food to non-perishables. People are within their rights to be concerned, we’ve been through so much in Australia. It has freaked me out a bit, we’re just waiting to see what happens next.”
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Other cities including Perth and Melbourne are also picking up extra two-ply but the federal Health Department warned Australians not to send themselves around the bend or break the bank with the grocery bill. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said that our nation was “fully prepared” in the event of the virus continuing to spread and would keep Aussies informed on how best “to protect themselves”.
“It is perfectly safe for Australians to go about their daily business and do exactly what they would normally do,” Professor Kelly said.
“Declaring a global pandemic doesn’t change what we do, it is a label.”
Five Dock resident Katja Farinola’s family isn’t taking any chances. The mother-of-two and her husband Anthony have loaded up on loo rolls and other essentials that should last them “between four to five months” if they are confined to their home in the event of a Sydney-wide coronavirus outbreak.
“Last week we decided to buy a lot of stuff just in case of a breakout,” Ms Farinola said.
“I’m a little fearful of what it could become.”
Ms Farinola said that the stockpile of non-perishables now stored in her cupboards gave her “peace of mind”.
“We didn’t buy anything we wouldn’t normally buy, we just bought more of it. We’re trying to be sensible but also prepared,” she said.
Originally published as Coronavirus panic hits Sydney suburban supermarkets