Supplies of hand cleaning gels have temporarily run out in several Burnham-On-Sea stores this weekend as residents stock up on products in anticipation of Coronavirus affecting the area.
It comes despite Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, stressing this week that there is “absolutely no reason” for people to panic-buy. He says the government has contingency plans for the unlikely event that large numbers of people are quarantined.
Chemists across the area have been far busier than normal. Boots in Burnham-On-Sea High Street has installed signs next to its tills stating “we have sold out of anti-bacterial hand gels,” as pictured above.
A store spokesperson told Burnham-On-Sea.com said it has experienced a “very busy few days” with customers stocking up on a “wide range of goods, including hand gels, flu remedies and paracetamol.”
It has been a similar position at local supermarkets, including Burnham-On-Sea’s Tesco store, pictured above, where the pharmacy has installed signs stating “hand sanitiser is currently out of stock, sorry for any inconvenience.”
The NHS says that washing your hands is a key part of preventing the spread of viruses, but hand sanitiser gel can be used when soap and water are not available.
Amazon Marketplace and other online sales platforms have hand sanitisers available at inflated prices.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has advised against panic buying, stating that UK supermarkets have “well-rehearsed contingency plans” in place to deal with events like the Coronavirus outbreak and to make sure products are available in stores.
