Coronavirus: All Portsmouth food shops urged to protect products from panic buying to make care packages for vulnerable people

EVERY food shop and supermarket across Portsmouth has been urged to safeguard vital products from panic-buying so they can be used to make up care packages for vulnerable people in the wake of coronavirus.
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Stephen Morgan, the Labour MP for Portsmouth South, sent letters to more than 50 stores warning them people’s lives could ‘depend on access’ to their supplies.

The correspondence also illustrates how the ‘unnecessary stockpiling' had left older people unable to complete their shopping ‘in tears’ in the aisle of city supermarkets.

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Mr Morgan is now calling on the shops to work with Portsmouth Hive – a hub of city volunteers geared at getting essential products to vulnerable people who need them.

Stephen Morgan with representatives from Hive Portsmouth.Stephen Morgan with representatives from Hive Portsmouth.
Stephen Morgan with representatives from Hive Portsmouth.

He says in his letter: ‘[Hive] have told me there are two practical ways supermarkets and food shops in my constituency can help.

‘1 – Help Portsmouth Hive create care packages for vulnerable people.

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‘This would mean giving the Hive team access to priority goods, as they determine them, so care packages can be assembled for vulnerable people who are unable to leave the house due to susceptibility to Covid-19.

‘2 – Commit to allowing the Hive team access to your store.

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‘This would mean volunteers being able to purchase priority goods that food banks are struggling to source amid increased demand due to Covid-19.’

The message to shops continues: ‘I want to take this opportunity to thank you and your team for all you are doing to serve our community at this difficult and unprecedented time for the retail sector.’

Mr Morgan’s letter comes after it was revealed how shops in the Portsmouth area had hiked the prices of certain goods which became low in stock.

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ON panic buying, Mr Morgan added: ‘I urge all Portsmouth people to think before panic buying or stockpiling.

People should only buy what goods they and their family need.

‘There is plenty to go around, but people need to be mindful of their behaviour.’

Any shops wanting to join Portsmouth Hive should email Louise Wilders, via [email protected]

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