The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Government working to ensure food supply
Health secretary says key items are available amid public panic-buying
The government is working with supermarkets to ensure food supplies as the number of people self-isolating with coronavirus is expected to rise, the health secretary has said.
Matt Hancock sought to reassure the public following panic-buying in some areas, with supermarkets seeing their shelves cleared of essentials such as toilet roll and paracetamol.
It comes as an older patient, reported to be a woman in her 70s, became the first person in the UK to die after being diagnosed with coronavirus.
Speaking on BBC’s Question Time, Mr Hancock said: “The government has supplies of the key things that are needed, and, within the food supply, we are absolutely confident that there won’t be a problem there.
“And, crucially, we are working to makes sure that if people are self-isolating, they will be able to get the food and supplies that they need.”
He said there was “absolutely no need” for individual people “to go around buying more than they need”.
One supermarket executive told the BBC sales of basics such as pasta and tinned goods had “gone through the roof”, adding: “While I think people don’t need to panic buy and should just shop normally, I’m not sure the government can guarantee all food supply in all instances.”
New blog posts from Public Health England (PHE) suggested people may need to get supplies for loved ones in future if socialdistancing measures are brought in and more people are told to stay at home.
The posts urged people to “plan ahead”, adding: “Everyone has a part to play, and we’re asking people to think about what they do in a typical week, how they could limit contact with others if asked to, and how they could help people in their community, who might need support if certain social distancing measures were put in place.”
I think people don’t need to panic buy and should just shop normally. SUPERMARKET EXECUTIVE