Australian shops are an eerie place at the moment. I haven't been able to buy toilet paper for two weeks, although I refuse to (and don't really have the time to) go to 6 or 10 different shops to find some, so I stop at a different place on the way home from work and if I get some I get some, if not and I run out, I'll cut up an old bedsheet. Purchases are limited in most shops now to one or two per person. The shelves are still empty. You ask the cashier and they say well you just have to be here at opening time. That doesn't help those who work in the mornings. Apparently there are 30-50 people all lined up in the morning waiting for doors to open and they are running and pushing and shoving each other to get to the toilet paper. Some shops over east (I am western Australia) are staggering their restocking shelves throughout the day so it allows people like me to get some in the afternoon. Our shops here won't do it because apparently the workers are being assaulted when they bring out the tp.
I have been avoiding the shops in general and not wanting to buy into the panic. I generally keep quite a bit of food at home and I was already starting this year to eat my way through the pantry, try to produce more at home and generally buy as little as possible. I have an endless supply of milk and meat wandering around the paddocks and I make cheese, yoghurt etc. But it looks more and more like we may actually start having shortages and potentially shops may actually start closing so I thought it might be prudent to tackle it yesterday just for a couple of minor things.
Our Prime minister on Friday announced that by Monday, any large public gatherings of 500 people should be cancelled. I believe this will only fuel the panic buying even more.
I went to an Aldi that was completely eerie. They've shoved extra shelves of stock into all the aisles willy nilly and there were long rows of simply empty shelves. Not only the toilet paper and paper towel, much of the food. Chips and biscuits were hit hard, those shelves were completely empty not a single packet left. Canned goods, pasta, flour rice etc maybe a quarter was left. I have heard reports of some shops with the frozen sections completely cleared.
I found one shop that has individual rolls of toilet paper and you are only allowed to buy two. At least it's something.
I could probably not go to the shops for a month or several now, though my food options may be a little bland, repetitive or somewhat creative haha but I am not fussy.
I do believe within a few weeks our country will also begin shutting schools and other things as well.
One event I was heading to has been cancelled. I suspect three others will be, just haven't heard yet. That is about $4.5k and almost half my yearly sales that I was expecting, gone. Thank goodness I have a 'real job'and don't rely on soap to pay the rent and bills. my real job is considered front line so even if we test positive, as long as we aren't deathly ill we have been told we are expected to come to work as we will be needed.
Businesses, Banks, schools, all outside programs at correctional facilities are cancelled and several churches are closed because of the flu. WHY? Viral pneumonia will most likely kill me if I get it. But it won't matter which virus laid the groundwork for it. This one is only a little different than the last 8 or 10.
Don't take me wrong, I am an "at risk" individual - BUT this virus has been weaponized. I have as much chance of getting a fatal case of Covid 19 as I do the flu. Proper hygene and taking care of where I go when I go.
If I NEED sanitizing wipes I will use lens cleaners which are still findable. Or they were before I typed this...
The MEDIA has caused a huge panic .
What the heck does toilet paper have to do with a virus?!?!
With all due respect, firstly you are more likely to survive the normal flu than COVID. Secondly the rapid transmission and number of cases requiring hospitalization because our population has no immunity to it, the overburdened hospital system, that will also markedly increase your chance of dying - because you won't be able to receive proper care.
The social distancing, isolation etc isn't about containment as such - we missed the boat there, this disease is in our communities - it's about slowing the rate at which those severe cases happen to give the health system a chance to cope. If you expect a community will have say 1000 people will contract it in the high risk group and need hospitalization but your hospital only has 300 beds and only a quarter of those are ICU. What these measures are trying to do is to spread those 1000 cases over weeks or months, so that 1000 people don't all turn up in the same day and we can't care for them.
Here in the UK loo roll is now back on the shelves but my order of isopropyl alcohol made over 3 weeks ago to make our own hand sanitiser has still not arrived due to unprecedented demand. I am getting weird looks wiping down my shopping trolley but I do offer to wipe other peoples for them and that brings a smile! The village I live in has called a meeting to make a plan to help the vulnerable and our little shop is making plans to home deliver, I feel very proud of how everyone is rallying round. My daughter on the other hand who is so desperate for her university to close so that she can avoid doing a debate then decides to head off to see a Lewis Capaldi concert crammed in with thousands of other people on the eve of the public events lockdown 
