REPORTS of panic-buying and empty shelves at local supermarket retail stores followed hot on the heels of President Cyril Ramphosa’s announcement on Sunday night declaring a state of disaster over the Covid-19 pandemic that is sweeping the globe.
Social media platforms have been buzzing with heated debates over whether panic-buyers are being selfish or sensible in protecting their families by preparing for the worst.
Steffi Steffen, owner of Glenwood SuperSpar, said she had noticed the store had been extremely busy since the president’s speech on Sunday.
She said the store had stocked up on hand sanitiser, and on Monday from opening until the end of the day, 800 bottles had been sold and the shop was currently sold out.
She said stocks of toilet paper were also nearing completion and the shop had ordered more.
“People have been buying a lot of canned food, toilet paper, long life milk, stocking up on non-perishable goods and necessities. Funnily enough, not so much alcohol has been purchased,” she said.
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She said traffic at the store had definitely accelerated since the president’s speech and the shop was very busy on Monday and Tuesday.
One resident said she had bought her usual groceries, plus some things which could be frozen.
She said she would keep the extras she had bought aside, just in case!
“It’s scary how people are responding to this and bulk buying. I wonder how long the stocks will last in the shops. I always buy vitamin C for our family, but when I went to buy they were taking it off the shelves, possibly to reprice?” she said.
Steffi said she had noticed a few shoppers who usually only bought a few items had bought a little more than usual.
One delivery to a pensioner, who usually orders groceries every two weeks, filled a trolley, which was unusual. A staff member said the pensioner had said she was concerned about not being able to get food, and was panic buying.
Comment from a reader
Eleanor Poulter: As far as I know, there are no known cases in eThekwini, so I think we need to take care not to be paranoid, but to be sensible and follow the health guide-lines that have been issued. If someone is diagnosed here in eThekwini, then that will be a game-changer.
Theatre performances, concerts, recitals, sporting events, conferences, meetings, etc., have been cancelled or postponed. This is hard for those who earn a living through performances or sport.
Many churches are closing meetings and using online video-broadcasting, while others are restructuring their meetings so they are smaller gatherings.
We have not stockpiled, since we mostly eat fresh foods. We have a moderate supply of meat and frozen veg in our deep-freeze anyway.
Distancing and self-isolation are effective, but this is not practicable for many people who have to go to work.
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