Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
CAMBRIDGE
THE coronavirus crisis deepened last night with supermarket giant Tesco rationing baked beans and pasta as experts warned 100,000 people could die in the UK.
Britain’s biggest grocer introduced a five-item limit on staple goods after panic-buyers stripped shelves bare at their stores and others nationwide.
It is also rationing anti-bacterial wipes, long-life milk and hand sanitiser gels – bottles of which have been on sale online at 50 times their value.
It comes as a third coronavirus patient died in the UK.
The man in his 60s “had underlying health problems” and recently went to Italy, North Manchester General Hospital said last night.
With the number of confirmed UK cases soaring to 273 it emerged over a million people had visited an NHS advice website set up a week ago.
And in a worrying development one person was yesterday confirmed to have the virus in Cheltenham – less than 48 hours before the start of the town’s world-famous racing festival.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will this morning chair an emergency COBRA meeting as his government battles to control the crisis.
Top of the agenda will be the 100,000 deaths civil servants warned yesterday may occur over 12 months.
Emergency laws allowing people to switch jobs and volunteer to work in the NHS and a possible ban on over70s, who are most at risk, attending large events will also be discussed.
But it is the shocking sight of empty shelves in supermarkets and possible shortages which is concerning many people amid conflicting advice.
Public Health England has urged people to “plan ahead” in case they have to selfisolate, but the Government’s chief scientist Sir Patrick Vallance said there is “absolutely no reason” to panic buy.
A Defra spokesman said decisions on limiting sales were for stores but added Environment Secretary George Eustice would discuss the moves with bosses today.
Food was last rationed during and after the Second World War with limits in place until 1954.
No other supermarket has followed