'This is ridiculous': Long line snakes outside Australia Costco amid panic-buying

AUSTRALIA -  A long queue of customers pushing trolleys snaked around the entrance to a Costco outlet in Melbourne on March 8 as many supermarkets in Australia were left with shortages of toilet paper and other items due to coronavirus-related panic buying.

Australia’s two major supermarket chains, Coles and Woolworths, both reduced the amount of toilet paper customers could buy at once on March 8. Coles introduced a one-pack limit, while Woolworths imposed a two-pack-per-transaction restriction.

Security guards were reportedly brought in to several stores to guard supplies.

In this video, filmed by Mitzi Vitkovski Veliov, customers can be seen lining up to enter a Costco at Epping, in Melbourne’s outer suburbs. A woman speaking over the video can be heard saying: “This morning, nearly 10 o’clock … unbelievable. This is ridiculous, people.”

A third coronavirus-related death was recorded in Australia on March 8, while the country had 74 confirmed cases just before midday on the same day.