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Aussie Supermarkets Are Being Wiped Clean Over Coronavirus Fears

Aussie Supermarkets Are Being Wiped Clean Over Coronavirus Fears

Rice, pasta, hand sanitiser, bottled water and toilet paper are some of the items flying off the shelves.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Supermarket shelves are being left empty across Australia as many worry about getting coronavirus.

The quarantine period for the disease is 14 days and many are stocking up on the essentials like toilet paper, hand sanitiser, bottled water, pasta and rice in case they become infected.

Photos uploaded to social media show entire aisles being swiped, with one shopper telling 7News: "There's so many people grabbing stuff. It's intimidating."

Coles has released a statement, promising the emptied aisles would be restocked as quickly as possible.

Chris Ledlin/Twitter

Coles has increased the number of deliveries to stores this week to improve availability on popular products, such as long-life pantry staples and healthcare items," the statement said.

"Like many retailers, we currently have a shortage of some antibacterial handwashes and hand sanitiser products due to high customer demand.

"We are continuing to work with our suppliers to maintain availability for customers."

The first Australian has been confirmed dead from the virus after they were onboard the Diamond Princess, the cruise ship that was quarantined in Japan.

Chris Ledlin/Twitter

James Kwan, 78, was onboard the cruise ship with his wife, when cases started emerging. Mr Kwan and his partner were flown to Howard Springs in the Northern Territory, before being transported to Perth and placed in isolation at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Sadly, he wasn't able to fight the disease and eventually died.

Dozens of Australians have been confirmed to have caught the disease, however health officials are warning against buying in bulk at supermarkets if you don't normally do that.

Australian Medical Association president Dr Tony Bartone told the ABC: "There's no reason to go out and panic buy, you know, the almost bunker level materials at this present time."

PA

Fifteen of the 29 cases detected in Australia have since recovered and the remaining are listed as in stable conditions.

The Australian Health Department has released a statement, saying: "Across the world, there have been about 88,104 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) and 2,995 reported deaths. Of confirmed cases reported globally, the case fatality rate is approximately 3.4 per cent. The case fatality rate in countries and regions outside mainland China is 1.5 per cent."

Sixty-four countries have reported cases so far.

Yesterday there was the first confirmed case of human-to-human infection between two Australians inside the country. A 53-year-old health worker in western Sydney and a 41-year-old woman also in Sydney became infected without leaving Australia.

Featured Image Credit: Kathryn Roger

Topics: News, Australia