Panic buying explodes as lockdown looms
As panic buying eased overnight, the reality of lockdown has hit those planning holidays, parties and baby showers with restrictions also capping weddings at 10 people and funerals at 20.
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Unprecedented panic set in across southeast Queensland in the hours before the start of the enforced lockdown as chaos reigned on roads and in shopping centres.
Punches were thrown and supermarkets stripped bare as panicked Queenslanders defied government advice to raid shelves and stock up on supplies ahead of a three-day lockdown.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s early warning for people to stay calm and avoid a panic was largely ignored, with police forced to intervene as shopping centres and traffic descended into chaos.
There were reports of scuffles at some stores as staple items flew off shelves, with many fearing the three-day lockdown would be extended.
At supermarkets across the city, lines to just get in the doors were 300-plus deep and stretched for hundreds of metres.
As a result, supermarkets introduced limits on products after shopping centres were flooded with panic buyers ahead of greater Brisbane’s looming lockdown.
Both Woolworths and Coles reinstated limits on products in the greater Brisbane region both in store and online after panic buying on Friday.
Toilet paper, canned vegetables, pasta, flour and meat are some of the products that have been limited.
Theatres, churches, gyms, community centres, pools, museums, golf courses, gardens, libraries and shops across the southeast have closed until at least Tuesday.
Open houses and auctions in areas locked down have also been called off for at least the next three days.
This weekend’s lockdown will also force holidays, birthday parties and baby showers to be cancelled or postponed – with new restrictions also capping weddings at 10 people and funerals at 20.
Brisbane celebrant Ann Ricketts said she had heard of two weddings planned for the weekend that were moved forward to Friday to beat the restrictions.
Others were postponed or cancelled.
Hillstone sales and events manager Donika Mehmet said a couple were able to have their ceremony, but had to postpone their plans for a reception because of the strict 6pm lockdown.
“We actually were able to chat with the couple this afternoon,” she said.
“We’re postponing their wedding reception until a later date.”
Ms Mehmet said another couple were scheduled to marry on Tuesday.
“This particular couple have been through quite a lot,” she said.
“We’re staying positive that we can go ahead with their wedding as planned for 30 guests on Tuesday … we’re just going to play it by ear for now.”
Ms Mehmet said the function space also had a funeral postponed.
She said a service for a man in his 20s, with a guest list of 200, was to be held on Saturday but had to be cancelled following the announcement.
Walkabout Creek and Wildlife Centre and Daisy Hill Koala Centre will close as the Department of Environment urges people to stay away from national parks and state forests.
A Jetstar flight travelling from Brisbane to the Northern Territory was also sent back moments after it landed at Uluru.
The flight landed about 9.30am before it was turned around with all passengers on board after the government declared Brisbane a hotspot.
“I want to thank Jetstar, they immediately turned this flight around and are returning those passengers to Brisbane,” NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services Minister Nicole Manison said.
Coles Chief Operating Officer Matt Swindells assured shoppers that additional staff would be rostered on to meet demand.
“We have increased the number of team members in stores and expanded our Coles Online capacity to help serve customers quickly and safely during this busy time,” he said.
“We thank our amazing teams who are working tremendously hard and we appreciate our customers for their patience and for treating our team members with respect as we work through this challenging time together.”
Woolworths Supermarkets Director of Stores, Rob Moffat said the supermarket had stock to draw on from suppliers and distribution centres and it would continue to flow into stores.
“We understand this is an anxious time for Brisbane residents, however we want to reassure our customers we will remain open as an essential service to support their food and grocery needs during the temporary lockdown,” he said.
Customers have been reminded to remain respectful towards staff in this difficult time.
WOOLWORTHS LIMITS
Items limited to two per customer
■ Antibacterial Wipes
■ Canned Fish
■ Canned Tomatoes
■ Canned Vegetables
■ Flour
■ Frozen Chips
■ Frozen Desserts
■ Frozen Fruit
■ Frozen Vegetables
■ Long Life Milk
■ Liquid Hand Wash
■ Noodles
■ Pasta
■ Paper Towel
■ Rice
■ Sugar
■ Tissues
■ Toilet Paper
■ Bread (loaves)
■ Chilled Pasta
■ Eggs
■ Fresh Milk (excluding flavoured)
■ Meat
■ Burgers, Rissoles and Meatballs
■ Mince (fixed weight only)
■ Sausages
■ 2 x packs Beef
■ 2 x packs Chicken
■ 2 x packs Pork
■ 2 x packs Lamb
■ Meat from the butcher
■ 2kg Limit on Poultry from the Deli
COLES LIMITS
Items limited to two per customer
■ Dairy Milk
■ Chilled Pasta
■ Poultry Thighs
■ Poultry Breasts
■ Mince
■ Burgers
■ Sausages
■ Long Life Milk
■ Pasta
■ Flour
■ Rice
■ Sugar
■ Eggs
■ Hand Sanitiser
■ Liquid Soaps
■ Paper Towels
■ Tissues
■ Toilet Paper
■ Frozen Vegetables
■ Frozen Chips
■ Canned Meals
■ Canned Fish
■ Canned Vegetables
■ Pre-Packed Seafood
■ Noodles
■ Face Masks
At Coles Fairfield Gardens, the line for the checkout was a two-hour wait.
It is a similar scene at Gasworks with massive line-ups just to enter Woolworths.
Chemists have limited sales of masks to five per customer.
Inside the supermarkets, it was mayhem.
Shelves were stripped bare as residents fear the three-day lockdown could turn into 30 days if case numbers explode.
Shopping centres north of Brisbane were busier than the pre-Christmas rush.
Carparks were full and customers were forced to join long check out lines with supermarkets understaffed to deal with the rush of panic buying.
Toilet paper, face masks, milk and fresh produce were flying off the shelves.
Frustrated shoppers have taken to social media urging people to just buy what they need.
One Recliffe shopper reported on social media that she spotted one person buying eight packs of toilet paper.
Another said their local bakery had no bread left at all.
Another said the line at the Kippa-Ring Coles was through the aisles and into the dairy section.
Supermarkets were slammed across Logan, some with lines stretching outside shopping centres, like at Coles Springwood.
At other Woolworths, IGA and Aldi stories stretching to the Redlands, there was mayhem in carparks.
Smaller shops, like butchers, fruit shops and bakeries were also struggling to cope, with eggs, milk, bread and other essential items already selling out by 10.30am.
At Boondall and Taigum in Brisbane’s northside, panic buying extended to panic driving with traffic banked up around the Centro Taigum and Taigum Village shopping centres.
Drivers frustrated with growing queues just to enter the centres, let alone find a park, have resorted to parking on the side of the road and pulling dangerous manoeuvres.
One local described her fear at the scene in Taigum while trying to get some bread and milk.
“I barely avoided being hit three times just trying to get out of the car park - I didn’t even attempt to park it was so manic,” she said.
“People were cutting each other off, shouting at each other, watching for parks instead of pedestrians or other drivers, slamming on the brakes, it was terrifying.
“I eventually got a park at the smaller IGA in Boondall and got in and out in about 40 minutes but social distancing was totally disregarded as the line snaked up and down every aisle.
“The only thing these people are achieving is putting themselves and others at risk of spreading the virus or getting hurt on the road. Madness.”
At the Woolworths in Ashgrove the aisles were crammed full of masked customers, forced to wait up to half an hour to reach the check outs.
Toilet rolls were disappearing from the shelves, alongside fresh produce and bread.
Staff at this Woolworths were called in on their days off, many of them forsaking their weekends to serve Brisbane residents during this period of uncertainty.
Resident Teryn Hocking said she’d travelled to multiple grocery stores over the course of the morning, searching for a place to shop without the punishing line ups.
“We went to Newmarket first and it was bonkers,” she said.
“I just need to get some food, I’ve only got a bag of carrots at home!”
Ms Hocking, like many other residents, has had to cancel her weekend plans.
“All my appointments and meetings have been cancelled,” she said.
“But it’s okay, we want to do the right thing, we want to contain this one before it gets out in the community.”
Deborah Bennion from Mount Gravatt East said she was in the queue at Woolworths at Westfield Carindale for more than two hours.
She said there was run on toilet paper with customers taking rolls as Woolworths workers restocked the section. Most people were wearing face masks.
“It’s crazy but people are well behaved,” she said.
“But after being in the supermarket for over three hours Westfield refused to offer free parking.
“I thought the staff at Woolworths were great but having to pay for carparking because I was in the queue for so long made me ropeable.”
Meanwhile, a northside chemist was slammed for appearing to increase the price of disposable face masks in the wake of the government’s lockdown announcement.
Images taken by Opposition Leader David Crisafulli show a chemist within the Morayfield Shopping Centre selling a 50 pack of masks for a staggering $59.
A similar product is being sold at Kmart for $15 and $5 on Amazon.
“This isn’t on,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“Some shops in Brisbane are increasing mask sales by 400 per cent, taking advantage of people’s anxiety.
“This is already hard enough for Queenslanders.”
THIS ISN’T ON
— David Crisafulli (@DavidCrisafulli) January 8, 2021
Some shops in Brisbane are increasing mask sales by 400%, taking advantage of people’s anxiety.
This is already hard enough for Queenslanders. #qldpol pic.twitter.com/zHcV0P6E3D
Queensland chief health officer Jeanette Young said anybody leaving their home for an essential reason this weekend was required to wear a mask.
Queensland Health has urged people in the Greater Brisbane to not panic buy, saying there is no reason to do so.
“Groceries and essentials will still be available throughout the Greater Brisbane lockdown,” they said.
“We know this is a unique and unusual situation, but we can assure you there is no need to excessively stockpile anything.”
They have urged anyone visiting supermarkets to wear a mask, practice social distancing and keep up with their hand hygiene.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young had previously said the shops were fully stocked.
Chris Gazenbeek, State Secretary of the SDA, the Union for Retail, Fast Food and Warehouse workers said;
“We are hearing widespread reports of panic buying which leads to heightened levels of customer violence and abuse in supermarkets.
“This is a stressful time for everyone and retail workers are doing their best to keep up with demand as a result of this health alert.
“We ask everyone to please stay calm and treat essential frontline workers with respect.
Customer Violence and Abuse is unacceptable, everyone has the right to do their job in a safe environment. We are all in this together. Please respect essential retail workers at this difficult time.”
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