Butchers report having to close doors for the first time ever due to lack of stock.

Bruce Highway flooded, Covid numbers rise resulting in many butchers, restaurants in Central Queensland briefly closing their doors and multiple supermarkets have had their shelves stripped bare.

Many butchers in Central Queensland have briefly closed their doors and multiple supermarkets have had their shelves stripped bare as Covid-19 infection numbers continue to rise and floodwaters over the Bruce Highway in the Wide Bay-Burnett region cutting off trucks.

Rockhampton butchers Boodles Meats posted to Facebook on Saturday they would be closing at 3pm as they were waiting for meat deliveries from down south due to the Bruce Highway being cut off in flood waters.

This followed after widespread heavy rain fell across the state on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, leaving the Bruce Highway shut by floodwaters north of Gympie.

On Sunday, Boodles Meats posted to Facebook their store would be closed for the day due to “circumstances beyond our control”.

“We hope with normal meat deliveries Monday we will have full shelves once again,” the Facebook post read.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Parkhurst Quality Meats posted to Facebook their store would be closing at 12pm on Sunday due to “the current situation and a lack of stock”.

“We should be back fully restocked tomorrow,” the Facebook post read.

“Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Yeppoon Central Meats also posted to Facebook on Sunday their store would be closed for the day due to stock shortage and their trucks not able to get through flood waters.

“Like other local butchers, this is a first for us,” the Facebook post read.

“We have trucks arriving this afternoon and will be prepping to reopen tomorrow morning.”

Central Queensland Covid-19 case numbers are also on the rise, with 151 recorded in the region on Saturday.

According to eye witness reports, shelves in supermarkets in the Rockhampton region have been stripped bare.

On Friday night, a Morning Bulletin reporter noted empty shelves in Woolworths in Allenstown Square.

The Morning Bulletin also received reports Woolworths in Gracemere Shoppingworld was almost bare on Friday night with no bread, no milk and the frozen section cleaned out.

However, the bread section had been stocked at lunch time.

Earlier in the week on Tuesday, Woolworths in Parkhurst Town Centre was out of toilet paper.

Businesses are continuing to feel the impacts of the virus in the community, with The Waterline Restaurant at Keppel Bay Marina posting to Facebook on Thursday their restaurant would be closed for dinner next Wednesday and Thursday.

The Facebook post read the restaurant would be closing at 3pm on Wednesday, January 12 and Thursday, January 13 due to the “ongoing impacts of Covid-19 and shortage of staff”.

The restaurant in Rosslyn would be open for dinner as usual for Friday to Sunday and the following Wednesday to Sunday.

Skyring’s Restaurant and Bar in Rockhampton posted to Facebook on Friday they had removed their a la carte offering until further notice due to supply issues, staff shortages and the safety of the community.

The restaurant’s tapas menu is still being offered seven days a week on the alfresco.