Websites and apps for major UK retailers nearly crashed on Monday evening as Britons rushed to have food delivered after Prime Minister Johnson locked down England over a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Similar measures were introduced in Scotland by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and Wales and Northern Ireland also remained under the highest level of anti-coronavirus restrictions, prompting consumers across the UK to start panic buying both online and offline.
Empty shelves at my local @marksandspencer at Belfast’s Forestside. Is this #Brexit related? Are supplies not getting through because of Irish Sea #border red tape? 😷 😞 pic.twitter.com/5Xaq5Mmb3k
— Ray Hayden (@RayHaydenAW) January 5, 2021
UK PANICK BUYING FRENZY: Pictures are trending of supermarket shelves being stripped of frozen and cupboard goods following Prime Minister Boris Johnson announcing the country's third lockdown last night. pic.twitter.com/Aw4Jvit0Vc
— Apex World News (@apexworldnews) January 5, 2021
Photos shared on social media show empty shelves in kingdom’s biggest supermarket chains, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, as people were seen stocking up on toilet paper, bread, vegetables and fruits in expectation of weeks-long lockdown that was signed into law on Wednesday midnight, effectively prohibiting citizens to leave their houses for non-urgent purposes.
Boris, why didn't you just call it Tier 5!
— James Howarth (@jimbo_lmr) January 5, 2021
Don't you know that Lockdown was a codeword for be a bell end and empty the supermarket shelves!!! pic.twitter.com/iMIZqGX9NZ
So why are sainsburys shelves all half empty? Clearly something is amiss.
— nqp15hhu (@nqp15hhu) January 6, 2021
Have just been shopping at Tescos at Knocknagoney, Belfast. Empty shelves. Thanks Ms Foster!
— Susanne Neill (@SusanneNeill2) January 5, 2021
I work in a supermarket in the UK... Please send me your support as i deal with the panic buying hordes... pic.twitter.com/5IMSWCMWjw
— Razkaii (@razkaii) January 4, 2021
According to the UK government website, shopping for “basic necessities” is still allowed under the newly-introduced restrictions and supermarket bosses urged customers not to go bananas stockpiling food and wipers.
However, it was reported on Tuesday that the Tesco and Sainsbury’s apps experienced some serious issues, as owners of the last one were forced to limit access to food delivery due to high demand.
The online retailer Ocado showed some massive queuing for customers, with thousands of people rushing to the app to secure delivery of groceries for the future.
That didn't take long! Ocado: you are 14,222 in the queue. pic.twitter.com/VTAWt5Dvt0
— Jonathan Stott (@jonathan_stott) January 4, 2021
The new national lockdown is England – the third since the coronavirus pandemic kicked in – is expected to last until mid-February, with people urged to stay home for most of the time, with the exception of once-per-day exercise activity, shopping for essentials, seeking medical assistance and going to work that requires physical presence. Schools and colleges across the country will remain open only for vulnerable kids and critical workers, with others required to study online.
Meanwhile, the Scottish lockdown, which also forbids outdoor gatherings and requires people to work from home, is expected to last until at least the end of January.
On Tuesday, the United Kingdom registered nearly 61,000 coronavirus cases – the record figures since the pandemic started in March. Many of these new infections have been linked to a new variant of coronavirus, which is believed to be more transmittable although not necessarily more dangerous or lethal.
