Coronavirus causes chaos: When knives were out, women pulled hair over toilet paper roll in Australia
A fight over toilet paper in an Australian supermarket prompted police to call for calm.
A video widely shared online shows three women pulling each other's hair and screaming as they struggle over a large pack of the highly sought-after commodity in the aisle of a grocery store in Sydney.
"I just want one pack!" one of the women screams as two others guard a trolley stacked high with rolls.
All because of toilet paper ����āļø����āļø https://t.co/XGtLeXrKJ5
— Bold_Westie (@_West_Sydney_) 1583538427000Two staff members intervened to break up the scuffle and police were called but no one was arrested.
"It's not the Thunderdome, it's not Mad Max. We don't need to do that," Acting Inspector Andrew New from New South Wales police told reporters, referring to the post-apocalyptic action films.
The incident comes after police tasered a man involved in a scrap over toilet rolls in the NSW town of Tamworth.
1/2 There's no need to bulk-buy products at supermarkets including #toiletpaper, paracetamol & canned food. It is p… https://t.co/hmvtuFVTJI
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) 1583387240000Police were also called to a shop in Sydney when a knife was drawn in a tussle over the scarce product.
"Pls STOP! Calm common sense would tell us if some individuals were not buying excessive numbers of toilet rolls... there would be no problem," NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard tweeted Saturday with a photo of bare shop shelves.
Pls STOP! Calm common sense would tell us if some individuals were not buying excessive numbers of toilet rolls...… https://t.co/BegVPBH370
— Brad Hazzard (@BradHazzard) 1583543719000Supermarket chains have started rationing sales of toilet paper and assured customers there is no shortage.
Australia has confirmed more than 70 cases of the new coronavirus that has infected more than 100,000 people worldwide.
One of the latest cases was a doctor in the southeastern state of Victoria who recently returned from the United States. He treated about 70 patients despite having symptoms of the virus.
Holding hands, an affectionate gesture with romantic undertones, has become taboo in the time of the coronavirus. Handshakes, too, have been outlawed in the boardroom as well as stadiums - and after closing a deal, folks now pick up their phones and send each other formal emails.
Lovers in parks sit on benches, their hands skidding across smartphone screens, sending emoji-laced messages. However, exercising one’s primary tactile organs to communicate through gestures might not be as dangerous as using a mobile phone.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
