This story – and all stories on our Facebook and websites connected with coronavirus – is free to read as part of the Shepparton News' commitment to community health and safety.Shepparton East Woolworths was selling out of essential items such as toilet paper, baby wipes, nappies and pasta on Sunday afternoon.
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This comes as Australia’s chief medical officer Brendan Murphy called for “sensible” buying of essentials amid self-isolation fears, with supermarkets across the country struggling to restock.
“For most people we don't want to encourage major panic buying at the moment,” he said on ABC's Insiders program on Sunday morning.“We've seen that with the supermarket chains. But I think it is probably sensible to have a few days of supply.”
Premier Daniel Andrews said in a press conference in Melbourne it was a good idea to have some of the staple items on hand, more than you would normally have.
“But if everybody goes out and buys not two week's worth of staples - but two month's worth - the shelves will be empty and the only people who suffer then are vulnerable people who might not have got to the shops, or can't go to four different supermarkets and get the basics that they need,” he said.The call for sensible buying comes after Victoria's chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton said in an article for the Sunday Herald Sun people should consider having a fortnight's worth of food.This food included non-perishables such as canned goods, cereals and pasta.However, Prof Murphy contradicted the Victorian chief medical officer's suggestion as "a little bit premature at the moment.”
The News observed Shepparton East Woolworths had run out of toilet paper, with low stocks of paper towels, nappies, baby wipes, bleach and disinfectant wipes on Sunday afternoon.Long-life foods such as pasta, rice, sugar and flour were also running low.
Shepparton East Woolworths declined to make a formal comment to The News.
