Government urges shoppers not to panic buy during coronavirus pandemic as they reassure public that there is enough food in the supply chain

Speaking during the daily Downing Street briefing on Saturday, March 21, Environment Secretary George Eustice urged people not to panic buy.

He said: "We recognise that this is a challenging time and there are many things the Government is asking the nation to do differently as we work together to fight this pandemic.

"Be responsible when you shop and think of others.

"Buying more than you need means others may be left without."

Thanking supermarket staff and those in the food industry for their efforts during this challenging time, Mr Eustice said that ‘we all have a role to play in ensuring we all come through this together.’

Asked about possible military involvement in the supply chain, Mr Eustice said: "We are obviously giving increasing thought within government over how we will protect those who may be self-isolating because they are vulnerable and I know more will be said about this in due course."

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, reassured people that there is enough food in the supply chain and that people right across the food industry are doing everything they can to ensure that we have the food we all need.

Ms Dickinson said that the industry was experiencing "a peak in demand "like Christmas... without the four-month build-up period."

Ms Dickinson said: "There is plenty of food in the supply chain.

"The issue is around people and lorries, so getting that food right into the front line onto our shelves, which is why we've seen some shortages."

Ms Dickinson added: "There is a billion pounds more food in people's houses than there was three weeks ago, so we should make sure we eat some of it."

Stephen Powis, national medical director at NHS England, said people should be "ashamed" of themselves for panic-buying, and urged people to think of struggling NHS staff.

"I would like to make a plea on behalf of all my colleagues in the NHS, nurses, doctors, paramedics and many, many others who are working incredibly hard at the moment to manage this outbreak of coronavirus," he said.

"It's incredibly important that they too have access to food, to those essential supplies that they need."

Mr Powis made reference to a video posted on social media of a critical care nurse named Dawn, who was reduced to tears after being unable to find any fruit or vegetables in the supermarket.

"Frankly we should all be ashamed that that has to happen - it's unacceptable.“These are the very people that we all need to look after perhaps us or our loved ones in the weeks to come."