Self-isolating coronavirus patients ‘could receive home deliveries’

Supermarkets today cast doubt on suggestions from ministers that food could be delivered to millions of quarantined coronavirus sufferers in a major outbreak.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said last night that the government was working closely with retailers to ensure that people who self-isolate at home can get essential supplies.

With experts warning that up to one in five people could be off work at the peak of a crisis, that could involve huge numbers of deliveries. 

But one supermarket group told the BBC that they did not believe there would be enough capacity. ‘We can’t switch a whole load of new vans on overnight,’ a source said.  

The Health Secretary raised the idea of supermarkets ferrying supplies to those who were isolated as he appeared on the BBC’s Question Time last night. 

‘Crucially we are working with the supermarkets to make sure that if people are self-isolating then they will be able to get the food and supplies that the people need,’ he said. 

The government has been meeting with representatives from the food industry and retailers to ensure there are no shortages.

The British Retail Consortium has said that its members are happy to leave essential deliveries on the doorstep for people who self-isolate.

Environment Secretary George Eustice spoke with chief executives from the UK’s leading supermarkets today to discuss their coronavirus response.

‘The retailers reassured me they have well-established contingency plans and are taking all the necessary steps to ensure consumers have the food and supplies they need. Retailers are continuing to monitor their supply chains and have robust plans in place to minimise disruption,’ he said afterwards.

‘I was particularly keen to hear how government could support their preparations and we’ve agreed to work closely together over the coming days and weeks.

‘I will be convening a further meeting with industry, retailers and public sector organisations early next week to discuss support for vulnerable groups who may be in isolation. Government and industry will remain in regular contact on this issue.’ 

 Mr Hancock also appealed for people not to engage in panic buying, amid growing reports of empty supermarket shelves. 

Mr Hancock said ‘herd behaviour’ was not helpful and insisted the government is ‘absolutely confident’ there will be no shortages of food or essential items.

On the flagship programme last night, a woman voiced her concerns about the situation in the shops, asking ‘how do we stop shortages?’ 

Mr Hancock said: ‘There is absolutely no need for individuals to go around buying more than they need. 

‘And in fact, part of the response of this has to be about us coming together.

‘We are, after all, a herd. It’s the biology that is causing the problem. 

‘Obviously, the very, very strong advice from the scientists, the medics, is that people should not go about buying more than they need.’

However, the woman interrupted to say that panic buying was really happening, saying she had been to the supermarket and found no dry pasta or toilet rolls. 

‘People are panic buying,’ she said. ‘There is no paracetamol that you can get in the supermarkets.’

However, Mr Hancock replied: ‘I understand that but what I will say is the Government has supplies of the key things that are needed and within the food supply we are absolutely confident that there won’t be a problem there.

‘And crucially we are working with the supermarkets to make sure that if people are self-isolating then they will be able to get the food and supplies that the people need.’