- Title: Australian mother stocks up on food as coronavirus pandemic declared
- Date: 12th March 2020
- Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (MARCH 12, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MUSIC INDUSTRY ARTIST MANAGER, DIANNE REGAN, WASHING HER HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSIC INDUSTRY ARTIST MANAGER, DIANNE REGAN SAYING: "Things have just been escalating day by day by day. I've started seeing the videos where people were being locked down. They couldn't go out. They can only go out every couple of days. So, I thought, I'm going to not wait until the end. I'm not going to wait until the last minute. Because, I do have my mum who's 83, as well. So, I started going out and slowly, slowly each week adding extra things into my normal shopping. Making lists of things, if we did have to go into lockdown, if we were put into quarantine, like in Wuhan, these are the things we would need." REGAN OPENING UP CUPBOARD IN HER LIVING ROOM AND PLACING FOOD INSIDE REGAN PLACING CEREAL BOX IN HER PANTRY REGAN OPENING CHEST IN HER LIVING ROOM STOCKED WITH FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSIC INDUSTRY ARTIST MANAGER, DIANNE REGAN SAYING: "And it's even evolved over the last six weeks. To be honest, when I was first getting things, I was getting things like rice and pasta and thinking those are the things. Now, I'm looking and thinking, this is actually serious. We could be in our houses for four weeks. This is going to cause mental health issues. People are going to feel depressed, they are going to be scared. So, over the last week getting food that I think will actually think is comfort food and food that I know my family loves and also things that will make my kids happy when they are locked inside." FOOD ON REGAN'S PANTRY SHELF JARS OF PASTA SAUCE ON SHELF (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSIC INDUSTRY ARTIST MANAGER, DIANNE REGAN SAYING: "You need to stock up on things like, longlife milk, noodles, rice, pasta, sauces. I have Mexican food, Indian food, all different types of things that we eat each week. Vitamins and don't forget about your pets, you need stock up on pet food." PET FOOD ON SHELF VARIOUS OF RICE BAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSIC INDUSTRY ARTIST MANAGER, DIANNE REGAN SAYING: "We've got time to prepare. No, you don’t need to go crazy. No, you don't need to go and clean out the shelves. You need to sit down, make out some lists. Plan things. Talk to your family about hygiene and about how to protect yourself. Washing your hands. Using hand sanitisers. More than anything, I think keeping a social distance." HAND WASH IN BOTTLES ON SHELF PANTRY WITH STOCKED SHELVES (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUSIC INDUSTRY ARTIST MANAGER, DIANNE REGAN SAYING: "My husband and I keep evaluating each day. When do we start wearing a mask? When do we take our kids out of school? When are we going to go into cutting ourselves off socially to protect ourselves from the virus? I have had a few moments of anxiety and it's only come from not being in control of the situation. And, now that I feel that I have everything that we need, I feel a lot more in control, because, if I know if we do have to stay home for four weeks, even eight weeks, we're actually going to make it and we'll be OK." CHILLI BUSH IN REGAN'S GARDEN REGAN PICKING CHILLI OF BUSH/ CAT
- Embargoed: 26th March 2020 08:27
- Keywords: Australia COVID-19 Sydney coronavirus hoarding lock down preparation prepping quarantine supplies
- Location: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
- City: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
- Country: Australia
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4QVHHJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Sydney mother Dianne Regan is taking no risks. She washes her hands frequently for a full 20 seconds, followed by a dousing of hand sanitiser. Regan is preparing for what she says is just a matter of "when" her family is under quarantine from coronavirus.
Her pantry is full and so is a storage box in her living room. She has enough food for up to eight weeks, and is not taking any chances with the spread of the coronavirus across the world.
One of her main concerns is her 23-year-old daughter who's a severe asthmatic and her 83-year-old mother, both living with Regan and her husband.
Regan monitors the situation daily. She wants people to prepare for the worst, but insists they shouldn't "go crazy".
Regan says she is not a doomsday prepper, but just your average mom taking care of her family.
"I have had a few moments of anxiety and it's only come from not being in control of the situation. And, now that I feel that I have everything that we need, I feel a lot more in control, because, If I know if we do have to stay home for four weeks, even eight weeks, we're actually going to make it and we'll be OK," she said.
Despite fewer cases compared to countries such as Iran and Italy, shoppers from across Australia have stripped shelves, from staples to sanitisers, in a rush of panic-buying spurred by fears over the coronavirus. Australia's major grocers since have placed strict limits on purchases of toilet paper and hand sanitisers as the country experiences shortages.
Australia has been struggling to contain the disease, which is expected to take a significant economic toll, and the government announced on Thursday (March 12) it would inject pump A$17.6 billion ($11.4 billion) into the economy to prevent the first recession in nearly 30 years.
Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Thursday there were 128 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country.
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