#PanicBuy #Shortage
Coronavirus Outbreak in China Triggers a Mad Rush for Face-masks Worldwide

As the coronavirus pandemic ensues in China, citizens, merchants and government officials alike are on a mad rush for face-masks. As of Feb 20, 2020, China has imported 50 million yuan worth of medical supplies, including 1.37 billion facemasks and more than 15 million protective suits.

The countrywide scramble for facemasks has caused a widespread shortage of facemasks not only in China, but also in many parts of the globe. In fact, the demand for these medical supplies has become so enormous that it has sucked up virtually every single facemask any country can offer.

According to Milano Today, the panic rush for surgical facemasks have spread to Italy. Locals have joined in the frenzy, and a rapid depletion of the local surgical facemask supply ensued in Italy. Citizens in Italy are vying for every mask that they could get their hands on.

A pharmacy depleted its stock of facemasks within a few hours. The owners claim that they have attempted to contact the facemask suppliers for more stock. Unfortunately, most suppliers have run out of stock and all they could do was to wait for a restock.

Some pharmacies do have boxes of 100 masks for sale. However, these are usually scalpers charging the poor locals $100Euros for 100 facemasks.

A supplier that specialises in surgical facemasks, Dpi di Roma, stated that they have sold 10 years worth of facemask stock in a matter of 10 days. Yet, they are still unable to meet the overwhelming demand for facemasks, with new orders for millions of facemasks being placed every single day.

Another Italian manufacturer for personal protective equipment, Cormano, stated that the total demand for facemasks in Italy in the past few years is only around 15-20 million per year. However, in the past few days, they have received orders for 10 million facemasks, equivalent to roughly 50% of the yearly Italian demand for facemasks in just days.

In order to cope with the inflated demand for facemasks, the company has sent its 40 workers in Italy and 20 workers in Spain to work in three shifts round the clock in order to boost the productivity of its factories.

Source: Apple Daily TW #Feb23
https://bit.ly/37Vrvlr

#Italy #MaskShortage

#PanicBuy #Italy
When people of Hong Kong rushed to the supermarket for packs of rice and toilet papers during the coronavirus outbreak; in Italy, the target is pasta.

Source: Internet #Feb28

#Newspaper

Coronavirus: Massive queues at supermarkets after first NZ case confirmed, experts urge calm

//People are panic-buying water, sanitiser and other essentials, causing lengthy queues at many supermarkets after confirmation of the first coronavirus case in New Zealand.

// But experts are urging calm, and say there is no need for panic.

//Queues were out the door at at least one Pak'nSave and many Auckland supermarkets.

//One shopper said it was as if people were "stocking up for the apocalypse".

//Chris Quin urged people to "just shop normally and we will make it work".

//A professor of public health has reassured Kiwis they should go about "business as usual" following the first confirmed case of coronavirus, and that risk of contraction is low.

//The chief executive of Foodstuffs-hris Quin urged people to "just shop normally and we will make it work".

Source: nzherald.co.nz, (29-Feb)
https://bit.ly/3cogPPs

#PanicBuy #StockUp #NewZealand #Coronavirus

#Newspaper

Perth shoppers clear shelves of bottled water, toilet paper and canned food in preparation for coronavirus

//People in Perth have started stocking up on everyday items in preparation for doomsday-like conditions as fears about the spread of coronavirus soar.

//Hand sanitiser sold out in the store days ago, with pharmacies saying more stock will arrive only after the long weekend.

//WA has two confirmed cases of the virus so far — believed to have contracted the disease while on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

//the Australian Medical Association has predicted up to one in four West Australians may contract the virus.

//The Federal Government yesterday revealed it would put a travel ban on people coming in from Iran as of today due to the country’s high death rate from coronavirus

Source: The West Australian, (29-Feb)
https://bit.ly/2PEW9ZI

#PanicBuy #StockUp #Australia #Coronavirus

#Newspaper

Toilet Paper Crisis 2/3: Sorbent warns of toilet roll shortages as Toorak, Balmain buy up big

//Local toilet paper manufacturer Sorbent has warned coronavirus panic-buying could lead to a supply shortage as major supermarket Woolworths announced a limit on toilet paper packs.

//Woolworths will also limit purchases of hand sanitiser to two per person and will sell the product from behind the service desk in order to limit the virus-induced flurry.

//Prime Minister Scott Morrison made a rare call to the chief executives of Woolworths and Coles, after community anxiety fuelled reports of panic-buying across the country and supermarket shelves ran bare, despite assurances stock shortages would not occur.

//Kimberly-Clark, said it had production lines running 24 hours a day at its South Australian factory to address the increased, short-term demand. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, it told customers to not panic, saying they "won't be running out any time soon".

Full Article: The Sydney Morning Herald
https://bit.ly/32XJhmZ

#Coronavirus #Australia #ToiletPaper #PanicBuy

#Newspaper

Toilet Paper Crisis 3/3: Woman 'pulls out a knife' during fight over toilet paper at a Westfield Woolworths

//A shopper has allegedly pulled a knife on another customer during an argument over toilet paper at a Woolworths supermarket in Sydney's west - as 'panic-buying' shoppers clear shelves across the country.

//Police officers were called to a 'disturbance' at the Westfield Parramatta store about 1.30pm on Wednesday.

//''This is the almost-empty toilet paper aisle at Woolworths Parramatta where the alleged knife incident occurred''

//No one was injured, police said.

//the woman involved in the incident had communication difficulties and police were trying to get to the bottom of what caused the scuffle.

//Supermarkets are now enforcing strict restrictions on toilet paper purchases as shoppers, driven by fears of a global coronavirus pandemic, cleared supermarket shelves across Australia.

Full Article: Daily Mail
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8072347/Horror-Woolworths-shopper-pulls-KNIFE-near-toilet-paper-aisle.html

#Coronavirus #Australia #ToiletPaper #PanicBuy

#Italian #PanicBuy #Pizza
Italians Insist on Not Eating Hawaii Pizza Despite Coronavirus Pandemic