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Empty toilet roll shelves at a supermarket in Australia. SIPA USA/PA Images

'Stop it, it's ridiculous': Toilet paper limits imposed in Australia to stop virus panic buying

Prime Minister Scott Morrison scolded those who were panic buying.

SUPERMARKETS IMPOSED PURCHASE limits on toilet paper across Australia today following panic buying by people rattled over a surge in coronavirus cases in the country’s second-biggest city.

“Stop it, it’s ridiculous,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison told his compatriots after the rush on stores, insisting the Covid-19 outbreak in Melbourne did not threaten the country’s so far successful containment of the epidemic.

Officials reported 30 new coronavirus infections in Melbourne overnight — the 10th straight day of double-digit rises in new cases in the city and surrounding Victoria state, while most other Australian regions have seen no or low single-digit new infections for weeks.

Victorian health workers have launched a major virus testing blitz across 10 Melbourne suburbs accounting for the majority of new cases, while the army was due to deploy around 200 troops this weekend to help with the operation.

While the number of new cases is relatively low compared to soaring tallies elsewhere in the world, the Melbourne outbreak has sparked fears of a second wave of the epidemic as most parts of the country push ahead with relaxing restrictions on business, public gatherings and travel.

Woolworths and Coles, Australia’s two biggest supermarket chains, both said they were reimposing nationwide quotas on purchases of toilet paper and paper towels to counter a surge in panic buying not seen since the first days of the pandemic in March.

The outlets brought in the buying restrictions on stores in Victoria earlier this week, but extended them after noting excessive demand spreading to other states.

“While the demand is not at the same level as Victoria, we’re taking preventative action now to get ahead of any excessive buying this weekend and help maintain social distancing in our stores,” Woolworths Supermarkets said in a statement.

Morrison’s chief health adviser played down the likelihood that the Melbourne outbreak would evolve into a broader second wave of infections.

“We’re very likely to see more such outbreaks, not just in Victoria — it could be anywhere in the country,” said the doctor, Brendan Murphy.

“We’re prepared, we’re responding and we’re very, very comfortable with the way things are going.”

But shoppers were not the only ones jittery over the Melbourne outbreak, as officials elsewhere in Australia warned Victorians against travelling to their areas.

In neighbouring New South Wales, officials said they would bar Victorians from attending professional sporting events when they begin allowing fans next week — a particularly stinging move in the sports-mad country.

Australia has recorded roughly 7,500 coronavirus cases and 104 deaths in a population of 25 million, with several regions believed to be effectively virus-free.

© – AFP 2020  

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    Mute Logan Shepherd
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:26 PM

    On the whole, there is too much toilet paper being used worldwide.

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    Mute Alan
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:30 PM

    @Logan Shepherd: you spent hole wrong ;-)

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    Mute Logan Shepherd
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:31 PM

    @Alan: (‘ ‘)

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    Mute frank_1916
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:36 PM

    @Logan Shepherd: now that’s a load of shite

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    Mute Colm Walsh
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    Jun 26th 2020, 2:35 PM

    @Logan Shepherd: no ifs, no butts

    16
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    Mute JustBEERbarry
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:27 PM

    This was more of a March/April story really

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jun 26th 2020, 2:55 PM

    @JustBEERbarry: noooo, it’s happening now-

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    Mute JustBEERbarry
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    Jun 26th 2020, 3:31 PM

    @Dave Harris: someone needs to tell the Aussies that its OK, nobody has ran out of toilet paper yet. We’ve known this since April.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jun 26th 2020, 4:05 PM

    @JustBEERbarry: I’m an Aussie myself and I think it’s bloody ridiculous

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    Mute Joe
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:45 PM

    Strange. It’s coming into winter in Aus with frost forecast for this weekend.
    Where are all the people who were trying to say they were doing such a better job than us even though it was summer there at the time. Those same people were trying to say there was no element of seasonality to this virus!

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    Mute ed w
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:50 PM

    @Joe: yep was thinking the same in march they were in autumn

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    Mute The Guru
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:51 PM

    @Joe: well they’ve had it a lot longer, have way less cases way less deaths, are testing way more and have better contact tracing so yeah I think it’s safe to say they’re doing better. I do agree there’s seasonality though, it’s clear that it spreads more indoors.

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    Mute Alan Dillon
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:55 PM

    Whats strange about frost being forecast in winter ?? There is no link with seasons and Covid19. Temperature doesn’t affect it, unless its greater than 65 degrees. Australia’s success has everything to do with their travel ban and serious lockdown, not the weather.

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    Mute SC
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    Jun 26th 2020, 2:15 PM

    @Joe: Vietnam spans four climate zones and eliminated it.

    11
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    Mute Joe
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    Jun 26th 2020, 4:53 PM

    @The Guru: don’t disagree with you. But a lot of people on here were simply comparing numbers without giving any consideration to seasonality

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    Mute Noel Martin
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    Jun 26th 2020, 2:07 PM

    Why do they always target the ‘bog rolls’?

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jun 26th 2020, 4:04 PM

    @Noel Martin: the stores limit the amount of toilet paper you can buy, the people think they must be rationing it, so try and panic buy, so the stores run out. Either that or Aussies are stupid ( I am Australian by the way!)

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    Mute Mike Daly
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    Jun 26th 2020, 6:20 PM

    @Dave Harris: So Dave you are stupid. We don’t care honest

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jun 26th 2020, 8:55 PM

    @Dave Harris: What’s the panic, though? If someone had to isolate for a few weeks, surely someone would drop some to their door if needed? It seems a weird thing to focus on.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jun 27th 2020, 1:51 AM

    @Fiona Fitzgerald: I dont know Fiona, I dont understand it at all. Its wierd. I understood the sliced plan thing when we were all snowed in – you can eat bread, but toilet paper?

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jun 27th 2020, 1:53 AM

    @Mike Daly: I probably am ( at least i dont have an overwhelming urge to hoard toilet paper. Sliced pan, now thats another story) Ive been in Ireland for 20 years now, so hopefully I have gained some cop on

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    Mute Luke Lee
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:30 PM

    Discusting carry on. What’s the story with panic buying toilet paper??? Hardly an essential. If needs be you could just wipe your ass with the leaves from a tree and use them as a base for a nice stew. People need to start thinking outside the box here.

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    Mute Paul Cunningham
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:36 PM

    @Luke Lee: meanwhile the bidet is still an invention that exists!

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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:39 PM

    @Paul Cunningham: I’ve never really understood the bidet, from the low pressure to the angle of the spray. Does it not really just wet stuff and basically make the situation worse?

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:54 PM

    @JusticeForJoe: You are literally spending far too much time thinking about useless shlte.

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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Jun 26th 2020, 2:20 PM

    @Tommy Roche: It would’ve been more helpful if you’d written about your personal experiences with them, or even just any theories ya might have. Ya really just wasted time talkin’ about me wasting time there

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    Mute Fachtna Roe
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    Jun 26th 2020, 3:08 PM

    @Luke Lee: I really hope you meant “or” use them in stew. The “and” is … disturbingly sequential.

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    Mute Sinead Boland
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    Jun 26th 2020, 3:45 PM

    @Luke Lee: Stew would taste pretty shit though!

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    Mute Joe Toner
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:44 PM

    Nothing wrong with a crisp bag or a bread wrapper…. Don’t see what all the fuss is about!!

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    Mute alphasully
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    Jun 26th 2020, 2:17 PM

    they started the original run on toilet roll at the start of the covid 19 lockdown.

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    Mute SC
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    Jun 26th 2020, 2:17 PM

    If you’re at home you can use the shower instead. In some countries they don’t use toilet paper at all.

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    Mute WreckDefier
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    Jun 26th 2020, 2:00 PM

    When I was knee- high to my daddy’s knees we used grass to wipe our Ole’s

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    Mute Paula Mackie Senior
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    Jun 26th 2020, 5:26 PM

    In days of old, when knights were bold, they’d wipe their arse on a piece of grass and ride away contented.

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    Mute Darren Mc Mahon
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    Jun 26th 2020, 1:23 PM

    Shits hit the fan

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    Mute James Reilly
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    Jun 26th 2020, 3:09 PM

    The silly sheeple big roll method.. lol

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