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MSP urges Moray public against panic buying amid coronavirus threat


By Lorna Thompson

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MORAY’S SNP MSP has warned people against panic buying as the coronavirus outbreak creates worry.

With reports of supermarket shelves being emptied across Moray and the local food bank running out of supplies, Richard Lochhead has urged people to act responsibly to ensure that the most vulnerable can still access essential items.

Mr Lochhead said: "The people of Moray are bracing themselves for a very difficult few months ahead and it’s time to all rally round and follow the advice being issued on a regular basis by the health authorities and to look out for each other.

"I know that this will be a worrying time for people who are elderly or considered to be at high risk due to underlying health conditions, and there’s no doubt that this will be causing a great deal of concern to them and their families.

"These are unprecedented times and none of us know exactly what lies ahead, but we do know the vast majority of people who are infected by the virus will experience only mild symptoms, but of course that is not the case for everyone. We can all play our part by following advice about regularly washing our hands to prevent spread and following all other medical advice, which is being updated regularly."

He added: "We all need to act responsibly when we go about daily or weekly shopping and I would strongly urge people to avoid stockpiling, which only makes life more difficult for everyone else, especially the elderly and more vulnerable.

Moray SNP MSP Richard Lochhead.
Moray SNP MSP Richard Lochhead.

"I would also encourage local supermarkets to think more about how the needs of the elderly and vulnerable families can be safeguarded by, for instance, reserving certain times of the day for such customers or by limiting the amount of certain products that can be purchased by any single individual.

"We also need to make sure that people continue to support the local food bank and I know that they’re really short of supplies at the moment. Demand for emergency food parcels is increasing and it is essential that we keep donating to Moray Food Plus to ensure that people in our communities can access food at a time of need."

Moray Food Plus said today it had seen an increase in people donating via PayPal. The organisation issued an urgent appeal last week for donations after running desperately low in long-life milk and toilet rolls.

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