Coronavirus fears prompt panic buying in cities
For a few days earlier this month, it appeared as if parts of Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul were simultaneously struck by a zombie apocalypse as residents spooked by the coronavirus outbreak rushed to clear supermarket shelves of everything from fresh vegetables to toilet rolls and instant noodles.
As the Covid-19 outbreak shows signs of making further beachheads around the world, authorities outside Asia – from the US to Europe and the Middle East – could find themselves making similar rants in the days to come:
- In the Romanian capital Bucharest, residents this week were not so concerned about toilet rolls; but the Brussels-based EU Observer news portal reported that supermarket shelves were bare as citizens bought “weeks of groceries in one go”.
- Bucharest’s zombie apocalypse vibes were mirrored thousands of kilometres away in the New Zealand city of Auckland, with The New Zealand Herald reporting that queues were forming at supermarket entrances as early as 7.30am.
- In Hawaii’s Oahu island – where a Japanese man was holidaying earlier this month before returning home ill with Covid-19 – the local Costco hypermarket was full of customers buying up boxes of canned goods, bottled water, toilet paper and paper towels, the local Khon2 news portal reported.
- In food-crazy Italy, one report said “pasta biscuits and canned goods” were in short supply but fruit and vegetables remained abundant in Milan’s supermarkets.
- As of late Friday, there were no reports of mass panic buying in the US, even as the state of California began a major operation to trace the contacts of people who had come into a contact with two people infected with the disease from an unknown source – indicating there may be community transmission of the virus in the state, where about 8,700 people are currently in self-quarantine.
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Coronavirus: 'Panic buying' hits supermarkets around the globe
New Zealanders are not alone when it comes to stockpiling supplies due to coronavirus fears. After the first known case of coronavirus was confirmed in Auckland on Friday, supermarkets reported a noticable increase in shoppers, with some items - such as toilet paper and bottled water - quickly selling out. The surge led Kiwi experts to urge calm, saying there was no need for panic.
But Kiwis are not the only ones preparing for "worst-case-scenario" if the outbreak continues. Virus "panic buying" is sweeping the globe, with shoppers emptying shelves of food, toilet paper, bottled water and hand sanitiser - in particular - in supermarkets and stores.
Media reports and posts on Twitter show record stockpiling by panicked locals in Sydney, Perth, Auckland, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Milan, among others.
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New Zealanders Panic-Buy Groceries From Supermarkets After Country Reports 1st Covid-19 Case
New Zealanders Panic-Buy Groceries Like Toilet Paper, Canned Goods And Hand Sanitiser
The infectious Covid-19 first discovered in Wuhan, China has spread to many parts of the world. On Friday (28 Feb), New Zealand confirmed the country’s first Covid-19 case. The patient was a New Zealander woman who travelled from Iran and transited in Bali.
Shortly after, customers were seen flocking local supermarkets, stocking up on toilet paper, canned goods, and hand sanitiser.
In the city of Auckland where the patient is treated, snaking lines can be seen outside supermarkets, full of customers eager to stock up on groceries. This supermarket reportedly locked its doors, only allowing 5 customers in at a time, as it was already “at capacity“.
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WHO risk assessment spurs panic buying around the world
The raising of the global risk assessment by WHO over the weekend has sparked panic buying among consumers in several countries including the United States, New Zealand, and Australia:
- Reuters reported on Saturday that there is a “growing sense of urgency” for people to stock up on staples and essentials in preparation for home quarantines in the US. Quoting Ed Kelly, an analyst at Wells Fargo Securities, Reuters highlighted a research note in which he said that several major retailers in the US including Walmart and Target could stand to see its supply chains hit by the coronavirus, resulting in empty shelves. States like Hawaii and Minnesota have seen a spike in stockpiling, spurred on by messages from state health authorities urging residents to stock up on non-perishables, prescription medications and sanitary supplies despite the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advising otherwise, added Reuters.
- The Los Angeles Times spoke to the general manager of Costco in Atwater Village in LA Thad Kleszcz who said that he’s noticed an increase of customers over the weekend after US announced its first case of a person dying from the virus.
- On the other side of the world, the New Zealand Herald noted that supermarkets reported an increase in shoppers after the first known case of the virus was confirmed on the island on Friday. Items such as toilet papers and bottled water were quickly selling out.
- Similarly in Australia, News.com.au reported that a Sydney North Shore supermarket said that rice, flour and toilet paper were the first to go. The supermarket said they couldn’t keep up with the supplies of goods.
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Just a small group behaving like idiots like that will kill all of us
Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing was being praised for his plainspoken tough talk after he apparently said “disgraceful” Singaporean panic buyers were behaving like “idiots” and threw shade at Hong Kong’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
His comments, made in a roughly 20-minute clip that has been spreading online this week, has gotten the attention of Singaporeans who seemed to enjoy his Singlish-steeped straight-talk and agreed with what he said. The clip was recorded in a closed-door meeting with business leaders.
“Just a small group behaving like idiots like that will kill all of us, it will kill our current price negotiation strategy, it will kill our future business strategy … I was very upset on Saturday because it has long-term implications on our international standing. Every country can behave like idiots, Singaporeans must not behave like idiots,” the voice that sounds like Chan says in the ostensibly leaked clip.
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#Toiletpapercrisis: Australians panic buying due to coronavirus
Australia's biggest grocers put strict limits on purchases of toilet paper on Wednesday after a rush of panic buying related to coronavirus fears emptied shelves as the country recorded its third case of local transmission of the disease.
Australia was one of the first countries to take a hard line on tackling the outbreak, imposing border controls on visitors from the epidemic's epicentre in China a month ago. The country has at least 39 cases, four of them involving people who caught the disease despite not having left Australia.
Still, social media has been awash in recent days with photos and video of people stockpiling goods, including sanitising products and staples like rice and eggs. The run on toilet paper, in particular, has sparked the trending hashtags #toiletpapergate and #toiletpapercrisis on Twitter, along with photos of overloaded shopping trolleys, and calls for calm from baffled officials.
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Virus panic buying prompts toilet paper rationing in Australia
Australia’s biggest supermarket on Wednesday announced a limit on toilet paper purchases after the global spread of coronavirus sparked a spate of panic buying Down Under.
Woolworths said the restriction of four packs of toilet paper per person would apply “to ensure more customers have access to the products.” Hand sanitizers will also be sold from behind the service counter and restricted to two per person.
Despite government assurances, there has been a run on some items at Australian supermarkets, with images on social media purportedly showing shelves stripped of goods and shoppers piling trolleys high with toilet paper.
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Norfolk Island faces real food crisis while Australians panic-buy toilet paper
While Australians panic-buy toilet paper, Norfolk Island is facing a real food and supply crisis due to significant cuts to shipping services.
Residents are calling for an intervention over the food shortage, which has left supermarket shelves bare and no food for livestock for more than seven weeks.
The island has not received a cargo ship delivery since December, having lost its regular, twice-monthly deliveries due to increased difficulties offloading stock at Norfolk.
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Virus panic buying prompts toilet paper rationing in Australia
Australia's biggest supermarket on Wednesday announced a limit on toilet paper purchases after the global spread of corona virus sparked a spate of panic buying Down Under. Woolworths said the restriction of four packs of toilet paper per person would apply "to ensure more customers have access to the products.”
Despite government assurances, there has been a run on some items at Australian supermarkets, with images on social media purportedly showing shelves stripped of goods and shoppers piling trolleys high with toilet paper.
Police had to be called to a Sydney supermarket at lunchtime Wednesday when a knife was drawn in a toilet paper aisle.
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Coronavirus panic: Why are people stockpiling toilet paper?
Perhaps the worst doomsday scenario is this: being stuck on the toilet and finding you're down to the last square.
At least that appears to be the nightmare prospect scaring many Australians right now, who have become the latest group to respond to coronavirus fears by buying toilet paper en masse. This is despite authorities stressing there is no shortage - given most of the nation's rolls are made locally.
However in Sydney, the nation's largest city, supermarket shelves have been cleared in minutes, forcing one chain to enforce a four-pack buying limit.
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Covid-19: Panic buying in Germany after cases almost double in 1 day, toilet paper & pasta in high demand
There are now 129 confirmed cases as of Sunday, 63 more than the number of reported cases on Saturday. The virus has also reached nine of Germany’s 16 states.
This major uptick in cases comes after one of Germany’s most populous states, North Rhine-Westphalia, saw a cluster emerge after an infected couple attended a carnival celebration there. Perhaps it is this sharp increase in cases that has resulted in many residents in Germany engaging in a familiar-looking phenomenon.
According to DW News, a spokeswoman for one of the country’s largest supermarket groups was reported saying they have been noticing rising purchases of foodstuff and canned goods across the country.
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German supermarkets report coronavirus panic buying
Germans are slowly coming to realize that they, just like 50 other nations in the world today, could soon be facing a coronavirus epidemic. Indeed, the pathogen has become a major topic of discussion in the country – so much so, in fact, that some residents are now stockpiling food out of fear they could be placed under quarantine.
On Friday, a spokeswoman for one of the country's largest supermarket groups, REWE, told DW that while they didn't register any panic at the start of the week, the situation quickly changed. "We have noticed rising foodstuff and canned goods purchases across the entire country to which we are adapting accordingly," said Kristina Schütz from REWE Group, which is headquartered in Cologne and runs the Penny, REWE and Nahkauf grocery chains.
Discount chain Lidl has recorded a similar spike in purchases, with a spokesperson confirming that "we are noticing a rise in sales in certain regions and stores." According to the chains, Germans are stockpiling long-lasting and canned food, pasta as well as toilet paper and disinfectants.
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German word of the day: Der Hamsterkauf
Supermarkets in certain parts of Germany have been overwhelmed in the last few days. Photo: DPA
This word has been showing up in many coronavirus headlines in the last few days. What does it mean?
Der Hamsterkauf is a German word used to describe the panic buying or hoarding that occurs during times of widespread fear or concern. It comes from the verb hamstern, which means “to hoard or panic buy” since hamsters are known for filling their cheeks with food. How is it used?
In Germany, this word has also been used to describe the rush on supermarkets that occurs before long holiday weekends when supermarkets will be closed and, as many of us living in Germany know, every Saturday night before supermarkets shut their doors on Sunday.
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Americans Clear Supermarket Shelves Of Health & Basic Supplies As Country Reports First Covid-19 Death
America reported their first Covid-19 death on Saturday (29 Feb) – a man in his 50s with underlying health conditions in Seattle, reported Associated Press. Crowds are flocking to supermarkets amid the ongoing rise in cases there, forming long queues even past the main entrances.
This situation mirrors what has happened in countries like Singapore, South Korea, and New Zealand. We’re seeing what is the beginning stage of an outbreak in the USA, with people mainly snapping up masks and sanitisers.
However, supermarkets are also seeing non-perishable items flying off the shelves as state health departments in Hawaii and Minnesota advise residents to stock up. Items like non-perishable food and water, prescription medicine, and sanitary products are quickly running low.
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Hoarding in the USA? Coronavirus sparks consumer concerns
Shoppers line up outside a Costco to buy supplies after the Hawaii Department of Health on Wednesday advised residents they should stock up on a 14-day supply of food, water and other necessities for the potential risks of novel coronavirus in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. February 28, 2020. Courtesy of Duane Tanouye via REUTERS
American consumers awoke this week to the coronavirus threat and are beginning to display a symptom of the illness seen in Asia and Europe - hoarding.
Nothing in the United States yet resembles what Italy witnessed in recent days - where supermarket shelves were stripped bare and videos posted on social media showed consumers coming to blows over bags of pasta.
But there is unquestionably a growing sense of urgency for people to stock up on staples and to prepare for lengthy home quarantines.
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Costco sees run on supplies amid coronavirus concerns. Do you really need to stock up?
If you’re planning a Costco visit: A CDC expert has told Congress there’s no need for healthy Americans to stock up on supplies.(Elise Amendola / Associated Press)
If you noticed your local Costco was more crowded than normal this weekend, it probably wasn’t your imagination.
People have been stocking up on supplies amid the growing concerns about coronavirus spreading in the United States. Store managers report big crowds, and social media are filled with photos of empty shelves even though there are no shortages of items.
Experts continue to urge caution, despite new cases in California and Washington that appear to have been spread in communities rather than from people connected to overseas travel.
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Coronavirus panic buying frenzy hits supermarkets
A coronavirus panic buying frenzy is sweeping through shops in Australia, New Zealand and the US as shoppers rush to stockpile items
Coronavirus panic buying is sweeping through supermarkets and stores in Australia, New Zealand and the USA with shoppers emptying shelves of food, toilet paper, bottled water and hand sanitiser. Posts on Twitter record stockpiling by panicked locals in North Sydney, the Perth suburb of Claremont, Auckland, New York, San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
Essential foodstuffs like bread, flour and rice, as well as canned beans and tomatoes, pasta, pasta sauce and water have flown off the shelves as both the COVID-19 pandemic and fears about it spread:
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Covid-19 in New York: Panic shopping for masks, but brunch is packed
Shoppers buy toilet paper, food and water at a store, as people begin to panic buy and stockpile essentials from fear that supplies will be affected by the spread of the Covid-19, coronavirus outbreak across the country, in Los Angeles, California on Feb 29, 2020
Some pharmacies are seeing huge queues of customers buying hand sanitizers and face masks. One newsstand owner is cleaning his hands obsessively with a bowl of warm water that he keeps inside his stall. A bar owner has written to the mayor to see whether the city can offer licenses for takeout cocktails.
For weeks, New Yorkers braced for the arrival of the coronavirus, even while day-to-day life in the city seemingly had not changed. Through this weekend, restaurants had been full, and tourists still headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and lined up for Broadway shows.
But that resiliency may soon be tested as the first case of coronavirus in New York state was confirmed Sunday night. A woman in her 30s who had traveled in Iran has the virus and is isolated in her home in Manhattan, Governor Andrew M Cuomo announced.
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Coronavirus fears leaves shelves empty as Brits stock up and supplies rationed
So far 20 people have tested positive for the disease in the UK. The domestic infection of a man in Surrey, who has not recently left the country, has intensified concerns about the virus running rampant.
People have been posting photos on social media of empty supermarket shelves as certain products are snapped up. In Newtownards, in Northern Ireland, hand sanitiser, hand soap and antibacterial spray were all sold out. Tinned goods and sanitisers were also in short supply in an Asda in Wallasey, as in a Tesco in Swansea.
Lidl said its supermarkets were “experiencing a significant increase in demand for durable products or disinfectants.” A spokeswoman added: “We are doing everything we can to ensure the food supply and we have increased deliveries to our branches.”
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Coronavirus: Families stockpile food and medicine in preparation for self-isolation
Worried parents have been hitting the shops for essentials - and other not so essential items - over fears entire families could be placed on lockdown for weeks at a time. Families have been stockpiling food and medicine in preparation for self-isolation during the coronavirus outbreak. Everything from nappies, tinned food, medicine, water and even wine, are being bought by many in bulk.
Some people have even gone as far as to buy portable toilets should they need to use a separate loo if a family member becomes infected. Some shops have seen the shelves stripped bare, such as Boots, where many branches have completely sold out of hand sanitizer.
A shortage of antibacterial gel has also been reported on eBay and Amazon - as people become desperate to rid their hands of germs.
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Panic-buying of 'made in China' tissues, toilet paper erupts in some Japanese cities
Although some are stockpiling tissues and toilet paper out of fear that shortages are imminent, manufacturers are issuing reassurances that there is no reason for panic buying. | GETTY IMAGES
Fears that COVID-19 could lead to shortages of daily items sparked incidents of stockpiling from Thursday night through Saturday, causing drugstores and supermarkets in several cities to run short of toilet paper and other items.
But local officials and an industry association of tissue and toilet paper makers said there was no reason to panic and that there were sufficient supplies of both.
Social media posts and TV reports Friday showed long lines in front of supermarkets and drug stores in several cities. In Kumamoto, residents on bicycles were filmed loaded down with toilet and tissue paper. The hoarding was apparently sparked by social media rumors that said stores were running short on both because they were made in China and would no longer be exported to Japan.
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Coronavirus rumors fuel panic buying of toilet paper in Japan
Panicked Japanese consumers are stripping shelves bare of toilet paper, as unsubstantiated rumors of shortages stemming from the new coronavirus epidemic circulate on social media, sending prices soaring. "There are plenty [of supplies]. We would like consumers to take action based on correct information," pleaded Hirofumi Hayashi, chairman of the Japan Tissue Industry Association.
Tomod's, a drugstore chain, said sales of paper products, including toilet paper and tissues jumped 2.5 times last week compared with the same period last year. "Stores in Tokyo have long lines to buy [these products] and we are running out of stock," said a company spokewoman.
Toilet paper maker Marutomi Paper Manufacturing which holds 10% of the Japanese market for toilet paper, saw orders jump tenfold from normal levels on Thursday and Friday. The company usually sells around 1,600 packs of toilet paper at most per day. But it received 40,000 online orders over the two-day period.
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Coronavirus fuels toilet paper panic buying
As the coronavirus spreads around the world, face masks and disinfectants are flying off shelves everywhere. Demand for these products is natural, as health experts say they help protect against infection. But over the past week in Japan, unfounded rumors have led to panic buying of toilet paper, which government and industry officials alike say is completely irrational.
This weekend, I went on the hunt for a 12-pack of toilet paper, the kind that, until last week, had been readily available at any supermarket or drugstore in Tokyo. But everywhere I went, it was sold out. Staff at stores I visited said they stocked the shelves every morning, but everything was cleaned out within an hour of opening, despite a rule limiting shoppers to one package each. A quick Twitter search shows I'm not the only one with toilet paper at the front of her mind. Over the past week, there have been over 200,000 posts mentioning the words "toilet" and "paper." Other trending terms including "out of stock" and "shortage."
News of toilet paper shortages in Hong Kong and Singapore seem to be fueling this anxiety. And some people are speculating that Japan will soon be unable to secure the raw material needed for paper production, if China's economy remains inactive for much longer.
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People in Japan are now stealing toilet paper in midst of coronavirus crisis
If you asked someone to say a few things they’ve heard about Japan, there’s a good chance that the country’s glowing record for honesty and low theft might come up, along with a complimentary nod to the nation’s toilets and perhaps a mention of how kind and thoughtful Japanese people are towards others.
While these things are generally true on an ordinary day, news reports circulating around Japan today suggest it’s everyone for themselves when a coronavirus pandemic is poking its head around the door of the toilet stall, because now people are stealing toilet paper from public toilets.
This photo of a public toilet in Tokyo’s Nakano area alerted many to the problem, with signs above the entrance saying ”Use of toilets suspended due to the continual theft of toilet paper”.
related: 64-yr-old man arrested for stealing a roll of toilet paper from hospital toilet
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People in Japan stealing toilet paper from public toilets
Japan may be well-known for its food, cleanliness, and overall consideration and politeness of its people. It seems though, that the outbreak of Covid-19 has caused something ugly to rear its head. The country’s streets have been emptier as citizens sequester themselves at home. And as the the number of confirmed cases rise to 275 as of Mar. 3, paranoia appears to be gripping many in the land of the rising sun. Recently, scuffles erupted on the streets of Yokohama over masks, which are high in demand.
Japan, with her emphasis on orderliness and uniformity, is not exempt to the mad and irrational scramble for necessities and other essentials at supermarkets. The country saw a bout of panic-buying at supermarts in Shinjuku and Saitama, where the shelves cleared of the precious commodity that is toilet paper.
It appears that toilet paper is so prized an item that some people have gone one step further. One Twitter user posted a sign taped outside a public toilet in Nakano, Tokyo, stating the use of the toilets had been suspended.The reason? The “continual theft of toilet paper”.
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64-year-old man arrested for stealing a roll of toilet paper from hospital toilet
A 64-year-old man had been arrested and fined after stealing a roll of toilet paper in Shimane Prefecture. The incident occurred in September at a hospital in Okinoshima, located in Oki District, Shimane Prefecture. Okinoshima lies on an island off the west coast of Japan, and has an estimated population of around 14,849.
According to reports, the man was found guilty of stealing a roll of toilet paper from a male restroom at the hospital and fined 200,000 yen. The toilet paper was valued at 30 yen. Why the man chose to take the toilet paper from the stall remains unknown, but reports say the heavy fine for such a small-value item was due to the fact that this wasn’t the man’s first offense.
The story is currently making headlines in Japan, with net users around the country commenting on the severity of the punishment and recent cases of crimes committed by the elderly. “He could’ve bought 6,000 rolls of toilet paper for that amount of money!”
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COVID-19 forces Japan to rethink its view of toilet paper
People wearing masks queue to buy masks at a drugstore in Tokyo, Japan on Feb 28, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Issei Kato)
In happier times a fortnight ago, the hand-scrawled notices taped to public toilet doors, urging economy with loo paper and politely urging customers not to steal were just a disturbing curio of life in Tokyo.
By last weekend, with shops across Japan sold out of the precious tissue and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe preaching against panic, TV news shows collated more ominous signage from around the country — some snarling that in-lavatory larceny would bring a police response, others closing their restrooms altogether, defeated by the crime spree. But it was the images that appeared on Monday, of toilet paper rolls bound to their dispensers with bicycle locks, that finally told a nation that Japan had descended into Lord of the Flies-style depravity.
“Bicycle locks on a ¥50 (US$0.50) toilet roll?” writhed social media. In a country where even bicycles sometimes don’t need locks? Are we humans or beasts? What will they think of us when (or if) the world arrives in July for the Olympics?
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South Koreans Are Panic Buying After Shocking Spike In Covid-19 Cases, Supermarkets In Daegu Wiped Clean
The number of Covid-19 cases in South Korea has spiked in recent days. Just on Saturday (22 Feb) alone, 229 new cases were reported. The country now has 433 confirmed cases.
A significant number of the confirmed cases were found in the southern city of Daegu, where a church cluster has emerged. As the number of cases rises, droves of residents in Daegu have flocked to supermarkets in the city, panic-buying groceries and leaving behind barren shelves in their wake.
Here’s a look at the frantic situation – one that’s all too familiar to Singaporeans – in South Korea’s 4th largest city.
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Virus-panic buying hits Hong Kong supermarkets
Many Hong Kong people have rushed to buy necessities in supermarkets and grocery stores over the last few days due to fear of a possible community outbreak of Wuhan virus in the city.
Panic-buying of masks began after several confirmed cases of Wuhan disease were identified in Hong Kong last Thursday. Grocery stores doubled the price of a three-layer surgery mask to about HK$2 to HK$3 (26 to 39 US cents) on average. Some shops in the northern New Territories raised the price to HK$18 each, targeting mainland shoppers.
The N95 mask, touted as designed to reliably provide 95%-plus respiratory protection, was priced between HK$30 and HK$78 each. Eddy Tong Chi-chung, deputy chief executive of the Consumer Council, urged retailers not to hoard and speculate in masks.
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Viral hysteria: Hong Kong panic buying sparks run on toilet paper
Panic buyers in Hong Kong have descended on supermarkets to snap up toilet rolls as the government warned that online rumours of shortages were hampering the city's fight against a deadly coronavirus outbreak.
Videos obtained by AFP showed long queues of frantic shoppers packing trolleys with multiple packets of toilet rolls, with some arguments breaking out. Rice and pasta have also become a popular target for panic buying.
The footage - and photos of shelves emptied of toilet rolls - sparked a call from the government for the public to halt panic buying.
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Fearing novel coronavirus, Hong Kong residents stock up on food, essentials
Panic-stricken residents have emptied shelves in major supermarkets in Hong Kong, stockpiling meat, rice, cleaning products and soap as fears escalate over a coronavirus epidemic on the mainland.
The rush to procure food in the city of 7.4 million people is unprecedented, residents say, describing it as far worse than the panic during the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that killed nearly 800 people around the world, including nearly 300 in Hong Kong.
The new coronavirus originated in central China's Hubei province and has so far killed 361 people in the country. Over the weekend in Hong Kong, hundreds of people queued for hours to buy masks and immune-boosting products such as vitamin C.
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Indonesia fears panic buying after first coronavirus cases
A sign at a supermarket in Jakarta on Feb 6, 2020. Indonesian President Joko Widodo also said he had ordered police to crack down on people hoarding face masks to sell at a higher price.PHOTO: REUTERS
Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged residents on Tuesday (March 3) to avoid panic buying of food and medical supplies, a day after the world's fourth most populous country confirmed its first coronavirus cases.
The President also said he had ordered police to crack down on people hoarding face masks to sell at a higher price.
"The people don't have to buy necessities in droves. Buying them in droves is the thing that causes scarcity," he told reporters at the presidential palace in Jakarta.
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President Jokowi urges calm amid signs of panic buying after Indonesia's first COVID-19 cases
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday (Mar 3) urged people to remain calm amid signs of panic buying in supermarkets and drugstores after the country announced its first COVID-19 cases.
“People don’t need to buy daily necessities in bulk,” the president told a press conference at the State Palace.
“This is what drives goods scarcity, buying in bulk, stockpiling. The government guarantees the availability of basic commodities and medicines.”
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Panic Buying Prompted: Two Cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia
Citizens in Indonesia have started to panic buy groceries following the announcement of two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country.
Citizens have shared their experiences of being in an unusually crowded supermarket, and many people were buying goods in bulk to keep their homes stocked up amid fear of a coronavirus outbreak in Indonesia.
According to Sandra, 60, she experienced a long queue in the supermarket. “I went there to buy my usual monthly groceries, like rice and other foods. But I was very surprised to find ten tills at the supermarket with unusually long queues,” she said. The items that people are buying in bulk include instant noodles, frozen foods, hand sanitiser, and antiseptic cleaners. People that usually go for a monthly shop are seeing this and it seems to be making them panic and start to buy more than usual.
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Panic buying hits Jakarta supermarkets as govt announces first COVID-19 cases
A man pushes a supermarket trolley full of toilet paper Monday, March 2, 2020, at Carrefour ITC in Permata Hijau, South Jakarta. Jakartans descended on supermarkets and drugstores after the President announced Indonesia's first confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday. (JP/Donny Fernando)
Panic buying hit supermarkets and drugstores across Jakarta on March 2 following President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo's announcement on the country's first two confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Many Jakartans shared their experience at crowded supermarkets where customers were buying goods and supplies in bulk for stockpiling, amid concerns over the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak in the capital city.
Sandra, a 60-year-old woman from West Jakarta, said she was surprised to find long lines at the local supermarket where she shopped regularly.
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Photos of local hotspots don’t seem impressive to locals that see them every day, but this viral album might change your mind. Local photographer Lemjay Lucas used this opportunity to take haunting pics of the busiest places in our little red dot last Saturday (4 Apr) to Sunday (5 Apr). He feels that the outside world looked different as spaces seemed bigger and wider with the absence of visitors.
Here’s a look at the deserted destinations due to the global pandemic.
Wuhan city, we all know that it's the 1st Chinese city famous for the Coronavirus. But do u know the city itself ? Here it is - real amazing you will surely like this
Above link is for marking Wuhan city's opening after COVID-19. The photos are darkened but when you touch it, it will brighten as a sign of light returning to Wuhan! Open the link and try it!
Singapore reports its first cases of local COVID-19 transmission
Singapore confirms cases of COVID-19 Virus
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Coronavirus panic: Why are people stockpiling toilet paper?
Does this strike fear into your heart?
Perhaps the worst doomsday scenario is this: being stuck on the toilet and finding you're down to the last square.
At least that appears to be the nightmare prospect scaring many Australians right now, who have become the latest group to respond to coronavirus fears by buying toilet paper en masse. This is despite authorities stressing there is no shortage - given most of the nation's rolls are made locally.
However in Sydney, the nation's largest city, supermarket shelves have been cleared in minutes, forcing one chain to enforce a four-pack buying limit.
read more
Covid-19: Panic buying in Germany after cases almost double in 1 day, toilet paper & pasta in high demand
Germany recently saw a spike in cases on March 1, 2020
There are now 129 confirmed cases as of Sunday, 63 more than the number of reported cases on Saturday. The virus has also reached nine of Germany’s 16 states.
This major uptick in cases comes after one of Germany’s most populous states, North Rhine-Westphalia, saw a cluster emerge after an infected couple attended a carnival celebration there. Perhaps it is this sharp increase in cases that has resulted in many residents in Germany engaging in a familiar-looking phenomenon.
According to DW News, a spokeswoman for one of the country’s largest supermarket groups was reported saying they have been noticing rising purchases of foodstuff and canned goods across the country.
read more
German supermarkets report coronavirus panic buying
Germans are slowly coming to realize that they, just like 50 other nations in the world today, could soon be facing a coronavirus epidemic. Indeed, the pathogen has become a major topic of discussion in the country – so much so, in fact, that some residents are now stockpiling food out of fear they could be placed under quarantine.
On Friday, a spokeswoman for one of the country's largest supermarket groups, REWE, told DW that while they didn't register any panic at the start of the week, the situation quickly changed. "We have noticed rising foodstuff and canned goods purchases across the entire country to which we are adapting accordingly," said Kristina Schütz from REWE Group, which is headquartered in Cologne and runs the Penny, REWE and Nahkauf grocery chains.
Discount chain Lidl has recorded a similar spike in purchases, with a spokesperson confirming that "we are noticing a rise in sales in certain regions and stores." According to the chains, Germans are stockpiling long-lasting and canned food, pasta as well as toilet paper and disinfectants.
read more
German word of the day: Der Hamsterkauf
This word has been showing up in many coronavirus headlines in the last few days. What does it mean?
Der Hamsterkauf is a German word used to describe the panic buying or hoarding that occurs during times of widespread fear or concern. It comes from the verb hamstern, which means “to hoard or panic buy” since hamsters are known for filling their cheeks with food. How is it used?
In Germany, this word has also been used to describe the rush on supermarkets that occurs before long holiday weekends when supermarkets will be closed and, as many of us living in Germany know, every Saturday night before supermarkets shut their doors on Sunday.
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Americans Clear Supermarket Shelves Of Health & Basic Supplies As Country Reports First Covid-19 Death
Americans Crowd Supermarkets & Hoard Supplies As Covid-19 Cases Increase
America reported their first Covid-19 death on Saturday (29 Feb) – a man in his 50s with underlying health conditions in Seattle, reported Associated Press. Crowds are flocking to supermarkets amid the ongoing rise in cases there, forming long queues even past the main entrances.
This situation mirrors what has happened in countries like Singapore, South Korea, and New Zealand. We’re seeing what is the beginning stage of an outbreak in the USA, with people mainly snapping up masks and sanitisers.
However, supermarkets are also seeing non-perishable items flying off the shelves as state health departments in Hawaii and Minnesota advise residents to stock up. Items like non-perishable food and water, prescription medicine, and sanitary products are quickly running low.
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Hoarding in the USA? Coronavirus sparks consumer concerns
American consumers awoke this week to the coronavirus threat and are beginning to display a symptom of the illness seen in Asia and Europe - hoarding.
Nothing in the United States yet resembles what Italy witnessed in recent days - where supermarket shelves were stripped bare and videos posted on social media showed consumers coming to blows over bags of pasta.
But there is unquestionably a growing sense of urgency for people to stock up on staples and to prepare for lengthy home quarantines.
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Costco sees run on supplies amid coronavirus concerns. Do you really need to stock up?
If you noticed your local Costco was more crowded than normal this weekend, it probably wasn’t your imagination.
People have been stocking up on supplies amid the growing concerns about coronavirus spreading in the United States. Store managers report big crowds, and social media are filled with photos of empty shelves even though there are no shortages of items.
Experts continue to urge caution, despite new cases in California and Washington that appear to have been spread in communities rather than from people connected to overseas travel.
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Coronavirus panic buying frenzy hits supermarkets
Coronavirus panic buying is sweeping through supermarkets and stores in Australia, New Zealand and the USA with shoppers emptying shelves of food, toilet paper, bottled water and hand sanitiser. Posts on Twitter record stockpiling by panicked locals in North Sydney, the Perth suburb of Claremont, Auckland, New York, San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
Essential foodstuffs like bread, flour and rice, as well as canned beans and tomatoes, pasta, pasta sauce and water have flown off the shelves as both the COVID-19 pandemic and fears about it spread:
- A Sydney North Shore supermarket said rice, flour and toilet paper were the “first to go” and “we can’t keep up with” supplies of the goods.
- In one New Zealand supermarket, every type of bread was stripped from the shelves except gluten free options.
- US reports showed completely bare shelves and refrigerated sections in Costco shops where “water, toilet paper, rice, meat … all are disappearing fast”.
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Covid-19 in New York: Panic shopping for masks, but brunch is packed
Some pharmacies are seeing huge queues of customers buying hand sanitizers and face masks. One newsstand owner is cleaning his hands obsessively with a bowl of warm water that he keeps inside his stall. A bar owner has written to the mayor to see whether the city can offer licenses for takeout cocktails.
For weeks, New Yorkers braced for the arrival of the coronavirus, even while day-to-day life in the city seemingly had not changed. Through this weekend, restaurants had been full, and tourists still headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and lined up for Broadway shows.
But that resiliency may soon be tested as the first case of coronavirus in New York state was confirmed Sunday night. A woman in her 30s who had traveled in Iran has the virus and is isolated in her home in Manhattan, Governor Andrew M Cuomo announced.
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Coronavirus fears leaves shelves empty as Brits stock up and supplies rationed
Empty shelves at Morrisons in Swansea (Image: Media Wales)
People have been posting photos on social media of empty supermarket shelves as certain products are snapped up. In Newtownards, in Northern Ireland, hand sanitiser, hand soap and antibacterial spray were all sold out. Tinned goods and sanitisers were also in short supply in an Asda in Wallasey, as in a Tesco in Swansea.
Lidl said its supermarkets were “experiencing a significant increase in demand for durable products or disinfectants.” A spokeswoman added: “We are doing everything we can to ensure the food supply and we have increased deliveries to our branches.”
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Coronavirus: Families stockpile food and medicine in preparation for self-isolation
Some families are bulk-buying goods should they need to self-isolate for up to two weeks (Image: Getty
Worried parents have been hitting the shops for essentials - and other not so essential items - over fears entire families could be placed on lockdown for weeks at a time. Families have been stockpiling food and medicine in preparation for self-isolation during the coronavirus outbreak. Everything from nappies, tinned food, medicine, water and even wine, are being bought by many in bulk.
Some people have even gone as far as to buy portable toilets should they need to use a separate loo if a family member becomes infected. Some shops have seen the shelves stripped bare, such as Boots, where many branches have completely sold out of hand sanitizer.
A shortage of antibacterial gel has also been reported on eBay and Amazon - as people become desperate to rid their hands of germs.
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Panic-buying of 'made in China' tissues, toilet paper erupts in some Japanese cities
Fears that COVID-19 could lead to shortages of daily items sparked incidents of stockpiling from Thursday night through Saturday, causing drugstores and supermarkets in several cities to run short of toilet paper and other items.
But local officials and an industry association of tissue and toilet paper makers said there was no reason to panic and that there were sufficient supplies of both.
Social media posts and TV reports Friday showed long lines in front of supermarkets and drug stores in several cities. In Kumamoto, residents on bicycles were filmed loaded down with toilet and tissue paper. The hoarding was apparently sparked by social media rumors that said stores were running short on both because they were made in China and would no longer be exported to Japan.
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Coronavirus rumors fuel panic buying of toilet paper in Japan
Panicked Japanese consumers are stripping shelves bare of toilet paper, as unsubstantiated rumors of shortages stemming from the new coronavirus epidemic circulate on social media, sending prices soaring. "There are plenty [of supplies]. We would like consumers to take action based on correct information," pleaded Hirofumi Hayashi, chairman of the Japan Tissue Industry Association.
Tomod's, a drugstore chain, said sales of paper products, including toilet paper and tissues jumped 2.5 times last week compared with the same period last year. "Stores in Tokyo have long lines to buy [these products] and we are running out of stock," said a company spokewoman.
Toilet paper maker Marutomi Paper Manufacturing which holds 10% of the Japanese market for toilet paper, saw orders jump tenfold from normal levels on Thursday and Friday. The company usually sells around 1,600 packs of toilet paper at most per day. But it received 40,000 online orders over the two-day period.
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Coronavirus fuels toilet paper panic buying
As the coronavirus spreads around the world, face masks and disinfectants are flying off shelves everywhere. Demand for these products is natural, as health experts say they help protect against infection. But over the past week in Japan, unfounded rumors have led to panic buying of toilet paper, which government and industry officials alike say is completely irrational.
This weekend, I went on the hunt for a 12-pack of toilet paper, the kind that, until last week, had been readily available at any supermarket or drugstore in Tokyo. But everywhere I went, it was sold out. Staff at stores I visited said they stocked the shelves every morning, but everything was cleaned out within an hour of opening, despite a rule limiting shoppers to one package each. A quick Twitter search shows I'm not the only one with toilet paper at the front of her mind. Over the past week, there have been over 200,000 posts mentioning the words "toilet" and "paper." Other trending terms including "out of stock" and "shortage."
News of toilet paper shortages in Hong Kong and Singapore seem to be fueling this anxiety. And some people are speculating that Japan will soon be unable to secure the raw material needed for paper production, if China's economy remains inactive for much longer.
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People in Japan are now stealing toilet paper in midst of coronavirus crisis
Theft of products from restrooms is dragging a famously considerate and honest society down the drain
If you asked someone to say a few things they’ve heard about Japan, there’s a good chance that the country’s glowing record for honesty and low theft might come up, along with a complimentary nod to the nation’s toilets and perhaps a mention of how kind and thoughtful Japanese people are towards others.
While these things are generally true on an ordinary day, news reports circulating around Japan today suggest it’s everyone for themselves when a coronavirus pandemic is poking its head around the door of the toilet stall, because now people are stealing toilet paper from public toilets.
This photo of a public toilet in Tokyo’s Nakano area alerted many to the problem, with signs above the entrance saying ”Use of toilets suspended due to the continual theft of toilet paper”.
related: 64-yr-old man arrested for stealing a roll of toilet paper from hospital toilet
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People in Japan stealing toilet paper from public toilets
Every man for himself now
Japan may be well-known for its food, cleanliness, and overall consideration and politeness of its people. It seems though, that the outbreak of Covid-19 has caused something ugly to rear its head. The country’s streets have been emptier as citizens sequester themselves at home. And as the the number of confirmed cases rise to 275 as of Mar. 3, paranoia appears to be gripping many in the land of the rising sun. Recently, scuffles erupted on the streets of Yokohama over masks, which are high in demand.
Japan, with her emphasis on orderliness and uniformity, is not exempt to the mad and irrational scramble for necessities and other essentials at supermarkets. The country saw a bout of panic-buying at supermarts in Shinjuku and Saitama, where the shelves cleared of the precious commodity that is toilet paper.
It appears that toilet paper is so prized an item that some people have gone one step further. One Twitter user posted a sign taped outside a public toilet in Nakano, Tokyo, stating the use of the toilets had been suspended.The reason? The “continual theft of toilet paper”.
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64-year-old man arrested for stealing a roll of toilet paper from hospital toilet
A 64-year-old man had been arrested and fined after stealing a roll of toilet paper in Shimane Prefecture. The incident occurred in September at a hospital in Okinoshima, located in Oki District, Shimane Prefecture. Okinoshima lies on an island off the west coast of Japan, and has an estimated population of around 14,849.
According to reports, the man was found guilty of stealing a roll of toilet paper from a male restroom at the hospital and fined 200,000 yen. The toilet paper was valued at 30 yen. Why the man chose to take the toilet paper from the stall remains unknown, but reports say the heavy fine for such a small-value item was due to the fact that this wasn’t the man’s first offense.
The story is currently making headlines in Japan, with net users around the country commenting on the severity of the punishment and recent cases of crimes committed by the elderly. “He could’ve bought 6,000 rolls of toilet paper for that amount of money!”
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COVID-19 forces Japan to rethink its view of toilet paper
In happier times a fortnight ago, the hand-scrawled notices taped to public toilet doors, urging economy with loo paper and politely urging customers not to steal were just a disturbing curio of life in Tokyo.
By last weekend, with shops across Japan sold out of the precious tissue and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe preaching against panic, TV news shows collated more ominous signage from around the country — some snarling that in-lavatory larceny would bring a police response, others closing their restrooms altogether, defeated by the crime spree. But it was the images that appeared on Monday, of toilet paper rolls bound to their dispensers with bicycle locks, that finally told a nation that Japan had descended into Lord of the Flies-style depravity.
“Bicycle locks on a ¥50 (US$0.50) toilet roll?” writhed social media. In a country where even bicycles sometimes don’t need locks? Are we humans or beasts? What will they think of us when (or if) the world arrives in July for the Olympics?
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South Koreans Are Panic Buying After Shocking Spike In Covid-19 Cases, Supermarkets In Daegu Wiped Clean
Daegu Supermarkets Wiped Clean As Residents Worry City Might Be Locked Down Like Wuhan
The number of Covid-19 cases in South Korea has spiked in recent days. Just on Saturday (22 Feb) alone, 229 new cases were reported. The country now has 433 confirmed cases.
A significant number of the confirmed cases were found in the southern city of Daegu, where a church cluster has emerged. As the number of cases rises, droves of residents in Daegu have flocked to supermarkets in the city, panic-buying groceries and leaving behind barren shelves in their wake.
Here’s a look at the frantic situation – one that’s all too familiar to Singaporeans – in South Korea’s 4th largest city.
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Virus-panic buying hits Hong Kong supermarkets
Many Hong Kong people have rushed to buy necessities in supermarkets and grocery stores over the last few days due to fear of a possible community outbreak of Wuhan virus in the city.
Panic-buying of masks began after several confirmed cases of Wuhan disease were identified in Hong Kong last Thursday. Grocery stores doubled the price of a three-layer surgery mask to about HK$2 to HK$3 (26 to 39 US cents) on average. Some shops in the northern New Territories raised the price to HK$18 each, targeting mainland shoppers.
The N95 mask, touted as designed to reliably provide 95%-plus respiratory protection, was priced between HK$30 and HK$78 each. Eddy Tong Chi-chung, deputy chief executive of the Consumer Council, urged retailers not to hoard and speculate in masks.
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Viral hysteria: Hong Kong panic buying sparks run on toilet paper
A woman looks at empty supermarket shelves in Hong Kong. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)
Videos obtained by AFP showed long queues of frantic shoppers packing trolleys with multiple packets of toilet rolls, with some arguments breaking out. Rice and pasta have also become a popular target for panic buying.
The footage - and photos of shelves emptied of toilet rolls - sparked a call from the government for the public to halt panic buying.
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Fearing novel coronavirus, Hong Kong residents stock up on food, essentials
Empty shelves at a supermarket in the Yuen Long district of Hong Kong. (Photo: Twitter / kamireddynrao)
The rush to procure food in the city of 7.4 million people is unprecedented, residents say, describing it as far worse than the panic during the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that killed nearly 800 people around the world, including nearly 300 in Hong Kong.
The new coronavirus originated in central China's Hubei province and has so far killed 361 people in the country. Over the weekend in Hong Kong, hundreds of people queued for hours to buy masks and immune-boosting products such as vitamin C.
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Indonesia fears panic buying after first coronavirus cases
Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged residents on Tuesday (March 3) to avoid panic buying of food and medical supplies, a day after the world's fourth most populous country confirmed its first coronavirus cases.
The President also said he had ordered police to crack down on people hoarding face masks to sell at a higher price.
"The people don't have to buy necessities in droves. Buying them in droves is the thing that causes scarcity," he told reporters at the presidential palace in Jakarta.
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President Jokowi urges calm amid signs of panic buying after Indonesia's first COVID-19 cases
The prices of some items like ginger and shallots have increased recently in Jakarta. (Photo: Amir Yusof)
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday (Mar 3) urged people to remain calm amid signs of panic buying in supermarkets and drugstores after the country announced its first COVID-19 cases.
“People don’t need to buy daily necessities in bulk,” the president told a press conference at the State Palace.
“This is what drives goods scarcity, buying in bulk, stockpiling. The government guarantees the availability of basic commodities and medicines.”
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Panic Buying Prompted: Two Cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia
Citizens in Indonesia have started to panic buy groceries following the announcement of two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country.
Citizens have shared their experiences of being in an unusually crowded supermarket, and many people were buying goods in bulk to keep their homes stocked up amid fear of a coronavirus outbreak in Indonesia.
According to Sandra, 60, she experienced a long queue in the supermarket. “I went there to buy my usual monthly groceries, like rice and other foods. But I was very surprised to find ten tills at the supermarket with unusually long queues,” she said. The items that people are buying in bulk include instant noodles, frozen foods, hand sanitiser, and antiseptic cleaners. People that usually go for a monthly shop are seeing this and it seems to be making them panic and start to buy more than usual.
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Panic buying hits Jakarta supermarkets as govt announces first COVID-19 cases
Panic buying hit supermarkets and drugstores across Jakarta on March 2 following President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo's announcement on the country's first two confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Many Jakartans shared their experience at crowded supermarkets where customers were buying goods and supplies in bulk for stockpiling, amid concerns over the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak in the capital city.
Sandra, a 60-year-old woman from West Jakarta, said she was surprised to find long lines at the local supermarket where she shopped regularly.
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13 Haunting Pictures of Singapore
Popular destinations in Singapore are often packed with tourists and locals, but the Covid-19 outbreak has prompted many to stay indoors.
Photos of local hotspots don’t seem impressive to locals that see them every day, but this viral album might change your mind. Local photographer Lemjay Lucas used this opportunity to take haunting pics of the busiest places in our little red dot last Saturday (4 Apr) to Sunday (5 Apr). He feels that the outside world looked different as spaces seemed bigger and wider with the absence of visitors.
Here’s a look at the deserted destinations due to the global pandemic.
Wuhan: A City in China
Wuhan city, we all know that it's the 1st Chinese city famous for the Coronavirus. But do u know the city itself ? Here it is - real amazing you will surely like this
Above link is for marking Wuhan city's opening after COVID-19. The photos are darkened but when you touch it, it will brighten as a sign of light returning to Wuhan! Open the link and try it!
I Gotta Wash My Hands!
There's Bird Flu (chicken), SARS (civet cats), Swine Fever (pigs), Mad Cow Disease (cattle), Ebola (monkeys & chimpanzee) & MERS (camels) & now COVID-19 (bats & pangolin). Hope Mr Mare is not galloping out to spread "Beh" (horse) virus. Haha.
related:
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COVID-19: Singapore enters new phase of community transmission
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