The coronavirus crisis deepened last night with supermarket giant Tesco rationing baked beans and pasta as experts warned 100,000 people could die in the UK.
Britain’s biggest grocer introduced a five-item limit on staple goods after panic-buyers stripped shelves bare at their stores and others nationwide.
It is also rationing anti-bacterial wipes, long-life milk and hand sanitiser gels – bottles of which have been on sale online at 50 times their value.
It comes as a third coronavirus patient died in the UK .
The man in his 60s “had underlying health problems” and recently went to Italy, North Manchester General Hospital said last night.
With the number of confirmed UK cases soaring to 278 it emerged over a million people had visited an NHS advice website set up a week ago.
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And in a worrying development one person was on Sunday confirmed to have the virus in Cheltenham – less than 48 hours before the start of the town’s world-famous racing festival.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will this morning chair an emergency COBRA meeting as his government battles to control the crisis.
Top of the agenda will be the 100,000 deaths civil servants warned yesterday may occur over 12 months.
Emergency laws allowing people to switch jobs and volunteer to work in the NHS and a possible ban on over-70s, who are most at risk, attending large events will also be discussed.
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But it is the shocking sight of empty shelves in supermarkets and possible shortages which is concerning many people amid conflicting advice.
Public Health England has urged people to “plan ahead” in case they have to self-isolate, but the Government’s chief scientist Sir Patrick Vallance said there is “absolutely no reason” to panic buy.
A Defra spokesman said decisions on limiting sales were for stores but added Environment Secretary George Eustice would discuss the moves with bosses today.
Food was last rationed during and after the Second World War with limits in place until 1954.
No other supermarket has followed Tesco’s lead on food, but Waitrose and Asda are limiting anti-bacterial gels to two per cus-tomer.
Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Ocado have no restrictions on any products. Lidl did not comment. With some vulnerable shoppers missing out on essentials, panic buyers were blasted for not thinking of others.
Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden said: “Turns out we are a selfish lot.” And Dr Andrew Potter, a logistics expert at Cardiff Business School, insisted there was no reason to fear products would run out for long.
He said: “Whilst there might be empty shelves, over the next week or so, we will see them replenish.”
Department of Health figures shows a rise from 206 to 278 UK cases, in the largest daily jump so far.
Despite the Cheltenham case being confirmed, about 250,000 people will descend on the town for the four-day festival.
Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty said the person was receiving “all necessary support from Public Health England who are contacting people who may have had close contact with the case”.
But governing bodies for other sports and TV broadcasters were set to attend an emergency meeting today with Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to discuss contingency plans.
They will examine whether other large events should be held behind closed doors if the situation worsens.
There are suggestions Premier League matches could then be shown for free on subscription TV channels.
Pub landlords meanwhile could be asked not to show games to deter fans from congregating together.
Italy, Europe’s worst-hit country, has already decided to hold all its sporting contests in empty stadiums for the next month. Yesterday broadcasters here said they were “prepared to listen” to what the Government has to say about a similar move in the UK.
Meanwhile there is growing concern for the cruise passengers on the Grand Princess in California.
After being barred from returning to San Francisco last week, the liner docked at nearby Oakland yesterday.
But the PM was urged to intervene on behalf of British passengers who are being forced to stay on board.
Worried Michelle Bissell, whose mum Jackie took the cruise to celebrate her 70th birthday, said: “I want Boris to get involved now.
“My mum has been told the Americans are going to leave. She hasn’t been outside for three days, the food is inedible now and I’m really quite concerned.”
The global number of confirmed coronavirus cases stands at over 109,000 with more than 3,800 deaths.
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Europe’s Central Bank has told most of its 3,500 staff to work from home today to test how it could cope if the crisis worsens on the Continent.
But in a glimmer of hope the mayor of Daegu, South Korea’s worst hit city, said the outbreak there may be slowing after the number of new cases fell to its lowest in 10 days.
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