Moray SNP News

LOCHHEAD WARNS AGAINST STOCKPILING AMID CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

MSP URGES COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD BANK

Moray’s SNP MSP has warned against panic buying as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread.

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

Commenting 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.

“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.

“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 foodbank 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.”