Photos show the scene inside northern Italy supermarkets as panicked shoppers stock up on supplies amid a surge of the coronavirus

Yuru (Priscilla) Zhu

Feb 26, 2020, 21:28 IST

Photos show the scene inside northern Italy supermarkets as panicked shoppers stock up on supplies amid a surge of the coronavirus

Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images

Residents wait to be given access to shop in a supermarket on February 23 in the small Italian town of Casalpusterlengo.

Quarantine measures and concerns over the sudden surge of coronavirus have prompted shoppers in northern Italy to line up and empty shelves of supplies.
Tons of photos and videos showing empty shelves in supermarkets in the country's north have been posted to Twitter.
Italy, now the most infected country outside of Asia, had only three confirmed cases of the virus last Friday. But as of Wednesday, 12 people in the country have died from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by coronavirus, and 322 cases have been reported.
The country had locked down at least a dozen towns with the hope of preventing the coronavirus' spread.
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Stunned by the biggest surge of the coronavirus in Europe, panicked shoppers in northern Italy are lining up outside of supermarkets and emptying shelves of supplies.

A great number of photos and videos showing empty shelves in various supermarkets in the country's north have been posted to Twitter.

The panic shopping was prompted by a sudden, soaring increase in coronavirus cases in the country. There were only three confirmed cases in Italy last Friday. But as of Wednesday, 12 people in the country had died from the respiratory disease caused by coronavirus and 322 cases had been reported, making Italy the most infected country outside of Asia.

The two most infected regions are Lombardy and Veneto in the north of Italy, home to the major cities of Milan and Venice.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ordered a lockdown of a dozen towns late on Saturday in the hopes of containing the virus' rapid spread.

France and Austria have started monitoring their borders for visitors from Italy who could be carrying the virus, according to the Associated Press.

Paolo Gentiloni, European commissioner for the economy and a former prime minister of Italy, told CNBC Sunday that "there is absolutely no reason for panic."

Here's what Italian stores look like amid coronavirus fears:

Amid the coronavirus' spread, panicked shoppers in northern Italy have been rushing to stores to stock up on supplies.

Tons of photos and videos showing empty shelves in various supermarkets in the country's north have been posted to Twitter.

Goods like meat, bread, and pasta were reported to be in short supply in some stores.

Some Italian media also reported a shortage of latex gloves, hand disinfectant gel, and bleach products.

Like in other countries that have been severely affected by the virus outbreak, masks are typically among the first supplies to run out.

Long lines have been seen outside of supermarkets in northern Italy as panic buying sweeps the area.

Some supermarkets in the north have started to limit the number of customers allowed inside, as well as the shopping time each person is allowed.

The panic started after the country witnessed a sudden surge in coronavirus cases. As of Wednesday, 12 people in Italy had died from the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus and 322 cases had been reported.

The two most infected regions are Lombardy and Veneto in the north of Italy, home to the major cities of Milan and Venice.

The country hasn't yet figured out how the virus got into Italy, though most of the cases were originally related to a 38-year-old man who infected several patients and medical workers at a hospital in Lombardy.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ordered a lockdown of a dozen towns late on Saturday, affecting about 50,000 people who were told by authorities to stay at home.

The escalating situation has also prompted the cancellation of the annual Venice carnival and the closing of some major landmarks.

Officials in neighboring countries France and Austria are monitoring their borders for visitors from Italy who could be carrying the virus.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte dismissed the idea of closing the country's borders at a press conference on Saturday, saying, "I don't think the conditions for such a move exist at this point."

Paolo Gentiloni, European commissioner for the economy and a former prime minister of Italy, told CNBC that "there is absolutely no reason for panic."

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