Customers at Tesco will be limited to five items on a number of disaster goods, including dry pasta and milk, in a bid to stop shelves from being stripped in what has become a coronavirus panic sweeping UK supermarkets this weekend.
Mail Online reports hand sanitisers, tins of baked beans, medicines like Calpol, and hand sanitisers are all the rationed list.
“In a move to ensure the supermarket has enough supply, they have decided to limit the amount of dry pasta, UHT milk and baked bean tins that each customer can purchase.
“As well as the frequently purchased disaster goods, the store has decided to limit antibacterial gels, wipes, sprays and children’s cold medicine, Calpol.
“Tesco confirmed that shoppers would be limited to five items on Saturday, adding that they would apply to online orders from Sunday.
“The decision comes after shoppers were seen stripping supermarket aisles bare across the country, with footage emerging of frantic stockpilers pushing trolleys piled high with toilet rolls and forming huge queues.
“The panic sweeping UK supermarkets this weekend comes as the country saw its highest daily jump in coronavirus cases on Saturday, leaping by 45 to a total of 209.
Tesco’s baked bean section was completely plundered at one store on Thursday.
Fruit and vegetables at another Tesco store in Milton, Cambridge, were raided on Friday by panicked buyers after the number of coronavirus cases in UK rose, the report said.
“With the coronavirus emergency and the fear of restrictions people are stockpiling and emptying supermarket shelves.
“The Department of Health confirmed that cases in mainland Britain rose by 42 early on Saturday, before officials in Northern Ireland revealed another three cases on Saturday evening.
“Overall, there are 184 confirmed cases in England, 16 in Scotland, seven in Northern Ireland and two in Wales.
“The update comes as an expert microbiologist warned the deadly coronavirus outbreak could peak at Easter and last for six months – with millions set to be infected.
“As cases rise, footage has surfaced of frantic shoppers descending on UK stores to stock up on goods.
“One video from Costco in Chingford, London yesterday showed checkouts flooded with shoppers at the wholesale warehouse chain.
“The store was said to be ‘running short’ on water with shoppers ‘fighting’ over toilet rolls and being ‘limited’ to one each during the panic-buying.
“In addition to non-perishable goods, shoppers have stocked up on hand wash and hand sanitizer at this unspecified Tesco, leading the supermarket giant to limit customers to five items each“A bar in London also took precautions as a bouncer was photographed checking the temperature of guests Friday night as they entered a venue in The Shard.
“Coffee shop chain Pret A Manger has told staff to wash their hands every 30 minutes – following the sound of an alarm – while those with beards have to wash their hands every time they touch their facial hair.
“Scotland has confirmed five more cases of coronavirus with two new diagnoses in Lanarkshire while Lothian, Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Grampian have an extra one.
“Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to chair a meeting of the Government’s Cobra civil contingencies committee on Monday as officials prepare to accelerate work on the delay phase of the Government’s plan to tackle the virus.
“Elderly people are to be told to stay at home under new government guidelines as relatives are urged to check in on them. Both coronavirus fatalities were over 70-years-old.”
