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Supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths have re-introduced temporary purchase limits in greater Melbourne on the eve of a stage-3 lockdown.
As Victoria’s Covid-19 daily infection rate has soared to up to 191 on 7 July, there are reports of widespread panic buying re-emerging.
Coles has restricted metro Melbourne customers to pack limits of two for eggs, flour, fresh and long-life milk, hand sanitiser, liquid soaps, tissues and toilet paper.
The same restrictions apply to mince meat, chicken breast, chicken thigh, dry and chilled pastas, rice, sugar, frozen chips, frozen desserts and frozen fruit and vegetables.
Coles chief executive Steven Cain said the limits were needed to “help manage demand for staple items at a critical time for many customers in Victoria”.
“We would ask that customers continue to treat our team members with respect, observe social distancing in stores, make use of the sanitising stations at the entrance, and plan their visit so they can be ‘speedy shoppers’.”
Coles Click&Collect online and home delivery services are continuing.
Woolworths has reinstated its purchase limits across the state of Victoria.
Limits of two packs are set for 27 product types such as frozen vegetables, frozen fruit, frozen fish, frozen poultry, frozen pizza, frozen meals and pre-packed mince, sausages, bacon, burgers, rissoles and meatballs.
Other rationed items are pre-packed carrots and potatoes, fresh and long-life milk, sliced Woolworths-bakery bread, chilled juice, tissues, paper towel, dry pasta, eggs, flour, rice, sugar, hand sanitiser and toilet rolls.
