No Need To Panic Buy Food, Says Transport Minister

Transport Secretary Frank Chan has assured the public that Hong Kong has sufficient supply of fresh food from the mainland, and there’s no need for people to panic buy.

On an RTHK programme on Thursday, Chan said the government has asked the mainland to send more fresh goods to the SAR.

For instance, the supply of chilled pork on Wednesday was 1.8 times the normal amount, he said.

The minister added that supplies are arriving in Hong Kong via land, sea, and rail.

He said officials can arrange more train trips if needed.

“There's been panic buying in supermarkets in recent days, because people are a bit worried, and we learnt that some supermarket staff - such as those doing warehouse work or stocking shelves - have been infected,” Chan said.

“Government departments have been talking to the big supermarkets, and they've assured them that the goods supply is adequate and staff will be deployed to deal with this work,” he added.

“I believe that people will gradually understand that Hong Kong's food supply won't be affected, and there's no need for panic buying. Because for fresh food, the most important thing is that it's fresh.”

Supermarket shelves have been stripped bare in recent days over fears of an imminent citywide lockdown.

Chan said officials are still working out the details of an upcoming mass testing exercise, and they will take into account that people will still need to get hold of daily necessities.