Coronavirus has infected 5,018 people in the UK jumping up by 1,035 cases overnight, the biggest increase since the outbreak hit Britain. Shops in the UK have been stripped bare, but expatriates have reported no panic buying or stockpiling is happening abroad. So why are Britons stockpiling?

Shoppers in the UK are being told to buy only what they need after shortages caused by panic buying.

A heart-wrenching video of a critical care nurse driven to despair by the action of panic-buyers went viral in the past few days.

Speaking during the Saturday news conference, the national medical director at NHS England Stephen Powis shared his concern about nurse Dawn Bilbrough’s video.

He said: “Frankly we should all be ashamed that that has to happen – it’s unacceptable.

“These are the very people that we all need to look after perhaps us or our loved ones in the weeks to come.

“I would like to make a plea on behalf of all my colleagues in the NHS, nurses, doctors, paramedics and many, many others who are working incredibly hard at the moment to manage this outbreak of coronavirus.”

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What are shops doing to stop stockpiling?

The major supermarkets in Britain have attempted to stop panic buying through a number of moves.

For instance:

• Tesco is limiting customers to buying three of any product and two of toilet roll and paracetamol.
• Sainsbury’s is permitting people to buy up to three of any grocery product and two of more popular items such as soap, longlife milk and toilet paper.
• Asda is letting people buy three of any product.
• Aldi is limiting customers to four of any product.
• Waitrose has said people can buy only three of any grocery product and two packets of toilet roll.

What is the government doing to stop stockpiling?

Authorities and retailers have repeatedly said there is enough food and groceries to go around, but still some people are struggling to get items from stores.

Rules have recently been relaxed by the government which have enabled supermarkets to share resources such as distribution depots, delivery vans and staff, as well as coordinating stock levels across the country.

Delivery driver hours rules have been eased and the 5p plastic bag charge has been waived for online orders.

But still, there are plentiful shortages across the UK.

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What are European countries doing to stop panic buying?

In France, a maximum spend of €100 (£92) has been introduced to keep supplies in stock.

In Lyon in France, a journalist told the Daily Mail: “Shoppers are one metre apart, it’s calm, no queues and plenty of food.

“Seems to be a different picture in the UK, who haven’t got the restrictions.”

In areas of Italy, customers are only able to visit a supermarket every 48 hours and must stand at least three metres apart.

Stores in Rome have been operating quota systems for shoppers with “one-in, one-out”’ entry, leading to queues of up to two hours.

In Spain, customers are told to enter supermarkets alone and store managers monitor how many people are in the shop.

In Germany, posters have been shared establishing a maximum number of people who can enter a store and the doors are closed when that limit is reached.

Britain is currently the sixth-highest European country in terms of infections.

The cases in the UK are located as follows:

• London: 1,965
• South East: 492
• Midlands: 491
• North West: 312
• North East and Yorkshire: 298
• East of England: 221
• South West: 216.

The UK ranks behind:

• Italy: 53,578 cases
• Spain: 28,572 cases
• Germany: 23,937 cases
• France: 14,459 cases
• Switzerland: 7,225 cases
• The UK: 5,018 cases.

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