Supermarkets ration goods as panic buying grips Scotland
Stores take action as coronavirus fears clear shelves
SUPERMARKETS are rationing basics, including handwash gel, toilet rolls and painkillers, in an attempt to curb coronavirus panic buying.
Amid cases of shoppers clearing shelves and trying to stockpile dozens of bottles of antibacterial gel, major chains have introduced purchase limits.
Tesco said it was taking a “common sense approach” by restricting sales of antibacterial products, dried pasta, long-life milk, children’s medicines and tinned vegetables to five items per person at its stores and online.
In a message on Twitter, the retailer said: “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.”
Online supermarket Ocado has limited shoppers to two packs of toilet roll and two bottles of antibacterial gel, with Waitrose also capping the number of antibacterial soaps and wipes anyone can buy in a single transaction.
It added that individual stores could also bring in their own rules at the discretion of “branch managers making a judgment at a localised level”.
Both Asda and Boots the chemist are also restricting sales of hand sanitiser to two bottles per person.
The Competition and Markets Authority has warned suppliers against profiteering unfairly amid reports of huge price rises in items such as handwash and face masks being sold privately on sites such as Facebook and Amazon for 10 times or more their normal retail value.
The crackdown comes as Scotland reported two new cases of Covid-19 yesterday, taking the total to 18. The highest number of cases – four – is in the Grampian region, with three each in Lothian and Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Tayside, where the first case was confirmed on March 1, still has only one case. Ayrshire and Arran, Fife, Forth Valley and Lanarkshire have seven cases combined.
Speaking ahead of the UK Budget this week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it is “inevitable” the NHS will require additional funding to tackle the virus.
She added: “I think it’s pretty much inevitable we will need additional resources for our National Health Service, although we are right now working within the resources that are available to the health service.
“Scotland has just passed its Budget for the year ahead, which in itself delivers record funding for the National Health Service.
“But the pressures that are likely to come from coronavirus in the weeks ahead will mean we need to see additional resources, so I very much hope the [UK] Budget has positive things to say about that.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said extra money has already been deployed to fund vaccine and diagnostic testing research.
Last night, it was confirmed a third patient has died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus.
The man, who was in his 60s and had underlying health problems, died at North Manchester General Hospital, having recently returned from Italy.
The UK also recorded its biggest single day increase in cases to date, up 67 to 273, while Italy quarantined some 16 million people in outbreak hotspots in the north of the country in an attempt to curb its spread.
Italy is by far the country worst hit by coronavirus in Europe, with
more than 7,000 confirmed cases and 366 deaths to date. The lockdown affects major tourist cities, including Milan and Venice.
In the UK, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said a “national effort” is required to tackle the outbreak.
He hailed the “good example” set by a group of people released from hospital quarantine yesterday who had been repatriated to the UK last month from the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.
The group of 30 Britons and two Irish nationals are now allowed to leave Arrowe Park hospital in the Wirral, having been given the all-clear from infection.
The Department of Health and Social Care last night confirmed a third patient in the UK had died from coronavirus.
The man, in his 60s, was being treated at the North Manchester General Hospital, and had
“significant underlying health conditions”.
He had tested positive after travelling to Italy.
Two other patients with underlying health conditions
– a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s – died in hospitals in England last week after testing positive for the virus.
A British holidaymaker who had been on board the Diamond Princess also died in February.
Both the UK and Scottish Governments have warned that as much as 50-80 per cent of the population could be infected in a worst-case scenario.
Mr Hancock has set out plans contained in emergency legislation that aim to deal with the impact of the virus.
The bill, which is likely to go through Parliament by the end of the month, is expected to include measures to allow some court proceedings to be conducted via telephone or video.
Volunteers will also be given additional employment safeguards, allowing them to leave their main jobs and temporarily help health and social systems in the event of a widespread pandemic.
The chairman of the Royal College of GPS, Professor Martin Marshall, said it was likely hospitals would have to cut down on “other work” during a peak
He also said he expected retired doctors and other medical professionals to answer the Government’s call to assist with the crisis.
“Most likely these doctors, because they are in the higher risk patient group, would not do face-to-face contact but there’s lots of things they can do – managing 111, providing online care or telephonebased care,” he added.
Dr Margaret Harris, from the World Health Organisation, believes supporting health workers with training and equipment should be the “number one priority”. She said: “And they need back-up, they need other people to come and do the shifts. If they’re working massively, they are tremendously at risk.”
Dr Harris also highlighted the British Army’s previous experience in setting up field hospitals, suggesting this should be factored into coronavirus planning.
Meanwhile, Health Protection Scotland issued new guidance to workplaces on how to limit transmission of the virus. It follows similar advice sent out to schools and colleges.
It instructs people to routinely clean items that are regularly touched, such as phones and keyboards, ensure food is not left open for communal consumption and clean cutlery thoroughly.
Economy Secretary
Fiona Hyslop said: “We are well-prepared for an outbreak in Scotland, but the public has a vital role to play in helping us contain any positive cases by keeping themselves informed, and following basic hygiene precautions.
“That includes handwashing, not touching their faces unless their hands are clean, and covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then putting the tissue in the bin.”
Meanwhile, leisure operators Glasgow Life said Scotstoun Sports Campus would re-open from 6am today. It follows a “deep clean” ordered after it emerged a player from the Scotland women’s rugby team who used the facility had tested positive for coronavirus.
Attempts at containing the virus were also in evidence at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, yesterday as the men’s teams from Scotland and France avoided the traditional handshakes before their Six Nations match.