Pictured: Good Samaritan Helena Ellis
A photo of an elderly man staring at an empty shelf of bread offers a tragic insight into the impact coronavirus panic-buying is having on older Australians.
Sydney-based DJ Helena Ellis shared the ‘heartbreaking’ photo with her followers on Monday as she urged people to consider the elderly before they clear supermarket shelves.
While visiting a south Hurstville IGA in Sydney’s south, Ms Ellis came across a man who she believed was ‘at least 84’.
He had ‘an empty trolley [and was] staring at empty shelves of bread,’ she said.
‘My heart broke.’
Ms Ellis had picked up the last two packets of hot dog buns, so decided to give him one out of her own trolley.
The small act of kindness was enough to make the man smile, which Ms Ellis said was the best outcome she could’ve hoped for.
Ms Ellis shared this photo of an elderly man staring at an empty bread shelf after it was cleaned out by coronavirus panic buyers
The local Sydney DJ offered the man one of her packets of hot dog buns when she realised there was no other bread for him to take
Panic buying due to the threat of coronavirus has stripped shelves bare in supermarkets throughout the nation.
Company bosses have repeatedly assured consumers there is no manufacturing shortage, but said staff are struggling to keep shelves stocked of toilet paper, bread, non-perishables like pasta and hand sanitiser.
Ms Ellis suggested communities work together to protect elderly people and ensure they’ve got everything they need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘If you see an old person, please stop and ask them if they need anything… give them something from your trolley that is no longer on the shelves,’ she said.
At least 568 people in Australia have been diagnosed with coronavirus – but that number is predicted to rise
Pictured: A man trying to buy toilet paper in an Australian supermarket after panic buying due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The performer reminded her followers that for most people, ducking to the store is no more than a minor inconvenience.
But for some of the nation’s most vulnerable, it might be considered a major task.
‘You could easily come back and get [items] tomorrow,’ she said. ‘Who knows where they came from or how long it took them to get to the shop… only to get there and find empty shelves.
‘In a time of complete and utter madness and chaos, please don’t forget to look out for each other and look out for those who need it most.’
Ms Ellis urged people not to be ‘consumed by greed’ during the crisis.
Ms Ellis has previously attended the ARIA awards (left) and was spotted at a recent Pretty Little Thing party (right)
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged Australians to stop hoarding food and other essential supplies.
The prime minister said the panic-buying chaos sweeping grocery stores across the country has been one of the ‘most disappointing things’ he has seen in ‘Australian behaviour’ in response to this crisis.
‘Stop hoarding. I can’t be more blunt about it. Stop it,’ Mr Morrison said as he addressed the nation on Wednesday.
‘That is not who we are as a people. It is not necessary. It is not something that people should be doing.
‘It is distracting attention and efforts that need to be going into other measures, to be focusing on how we maintain supply chains into these shopping centres.
‘It’s ridiculous. It’s un-Australian, and it must stop, and I would ask people to do the right thing by each other in getting a handle on these sorts of practices.’
Mr Morrison reassured the public the government was putting in place ‘scalable and sustainable measures’ and bulk-buying was unnecessary.
He also asked people to stop ‘abusing staff’ after footage emerged online of customers verbally attacking supermarket employees because they couldn’t locate goods.
More than 200,000 people have been infected with COVID-19 across 167 countries, including 565 cases in Australia.
So far, 8,229 people have died from complications relating to the disease.