Toilet roll guarded by security staff as Coronavirus panic-buying escalates

10 March 2020, 11:59

Supermarkets have been forced to ration essential items like toilet paper after the public rushed to stockpile amid Coronavirus fears.

A supermarket in Australia has been forced to put toilet paper under the guard of security staff, after shoppers clamoured to get their hands on as much as possible amid Coronavirus fears.

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A security guard has been photographed standing beside the loo roll in a Coles store, and a spokesperson for the supermarket told news.com: “We have made the decision to change the limit to one pack per customer so that toilet rolls are available for more of our customers, particularly the elderly and people who are unable to purchase in large volumes.”

There have been a number of incidents related toilet paper stockpiling in the country - just last week two women were filmed fighting over the last pack in a Woolworths.

People in the UK are also panic-buying the product, over increasing fears that the government will introduce Italy-style quarantine measures as Coronavirus spreads across the country.

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Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden ahas urged the public that there is no need for such drastic action, telling the BBC: "There is absolutely no need for anybody to stockpile or anything like that.

"We are confident that supermarkets have the supply chains necessary to keep shelves stocked for people.

"The number one thing is to ensure we work with the supermarkets and others to ensure that their supply chains are there, that the shelves keep being restocked as people purchase things.

"And secondly, to reassure people that there is really no need to [stockpile]. We are confident the supermarket supply chains can keep refilling the shelves.

"I understand people's concerns if they go to the supermarket and see that… products are not there. But there really is no need to buy things in volume."

Supermarkets including Tesco and Waitrose have introduced measures to ration the amount of loo paper that people are allowed to purchase.

Tesco released a statement saying: “We know there’s demand for certain products at the moment and we’re working really hard to maintain availability of those to help customers.

"We’ve taken a commonsense approach to make sure everyone can access essentials.”

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