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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Claire Galloway

Coronavirus in Scotland: Edinburgh shoppers 'stockpiling' groceries as pasta shortages hit in Leith

Shoppers in Edinburgh have begun "stockpiling" groceries and household items amid mounting fears over the coronavirus outbreak.

The panic-induced buying comes as two new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Scotland this week, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases in Scotland to three.  

Fears of further spreading and the prospect of self-isolating appears to have driven some shoppers to buy in bulk, while others are dodging the supermarkets all together.

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Sharing a photo of bare pasta shelves at an Asda store in Leith, one woman said: "I think people in Asda are panic-buying pasta and half the Italian cheese was gone, too.

"I guess since Italy has Coronavirus we have to cook pasta in memory of the holiday to Italy we weren’t even going on."

A customer service assistant at Asda Leith Superstore confirmed that people had begun "stockpiling" groceries.

He told Edinburgh Live that people have been panic-buying everything from pasta, to rice, flour, hand sanitiser, baby milk and long-life milk.

He added that the frenzied purchases had "gone up a notch" over the last couple of days, adding that there has also been a spike in the number of shoppers ordering their groceries online.

Hand sanitiser has also been rapidly selling out across the capital, prompting Boots to limit Lothians shoppers to two bottles of hand gel after demand skyrocketed. 

And it seems there are similar scenes around the country with Somerset Live likewise reporting empty shelves at Sainsbury's in Bath, as people rush to buy toilet paper and soap amid growing fears of coronavirus.

The World Health Organisation warned rising demand for medical supplies is leading to a shortage of protective equipment and "is putting lives at risk from the new coronavirus and other infectious diseases".

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