Supermarkets on Friday imposed toilet paper purchase limits across Australia.
Melbourne, Australia:
Supermarkets on Friday imposed toilet paper limits across Australia following a panic purchase over a wave of coronavirus cases in the country’s second city.
“Stop, this is ridiculous,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison told his compatriots after the store rush, insisting that the COVID-19 epidemic in Melbourne has so far not threatened successful containment of the epidemic in the country.
Authorities have reported 30 new coronavirus infections in Melbourne overnight – the 10th consecutive day of double-digit increases in new cases in the city and surrounding state of Victoria, while most other Australian regions do have seen no or weak single digit infection for weeks.
Victorian health workers launched a major virus screening blitz in 10 suburbs of Melbourne, accounting for the majority of the new cases, while the military was expected to deploy around 200 soldiers this weekend to assist with the operation.
While the number of new cases is relatively small compared to the staggering increase elsewhere in the world, the epidemic in Melbourne has raised fears of a second wave of the epidemic while most regions of the country are moving forward in easing restrictions on business, public gatherings and travel.
Woolworths and Coles, Australia’s two largest supermarket chains, said on Friday that they were reimposing national quotas on toilet paper and napkin purchases to counter an unprecedented wave of panic purchases since the first pandemic days in March.
Outlets introduced purchase restrictions on Victoria stores earlier this week, but extended them after seeing excessive demand spreading to other states.
“Although demand is not at the same level as Victoria, we are now taking preventive measures to anticipate any over-purchases this weekend and help maintain social distancing in our stores,” Woolworths Supermarkets said in a statement.
Morrison’s chief health adviser downplayed the likelihood that the Melbourne epidemic would progress to a second, larger wave of infections.
“We are very likely to see more such epidemics, not just in Victoria – it could be anywhere in the country,” said doctor Brendan Murphy.
“We are ready, we react and we are very, very comfortable with the way things are going.”
But buyers were not the only ones to tremble at the Melbourne epidemic, as officials elsewhere in Australia warned Victorians against traveling to their regions.
In neighboring New South Wales, officials have said they will prevent Victorians from attending professional sporting events when they start licensing fans next week – a particularly burning decision in this crazy sports country.
Australia has recorded around 7,500 cases of coronavirus and 104 deaths in a population of 25 million, and several regions are reportedly free of the virus.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
