Now Playing

Local shop praised for handing out free coronavirus ‘survival’ packs to elderly

20 March 2020, 12:23

Special packs have been made during the Coronavirus outbreak. Picture: Day-Today Drylaw Local

A shop in Edinburgh has been praised for giving out toilet roll and hand sanitiser during the coronavirus pandemic.

This week many vulnerable people have been left unable to buy key items as the shelves have been stripped amidst the coronavirus panic.

You can find the latest Coronavirus (Covid-19) advice from the NHS here.

But now a shop in Edinburgh is offering elderly residents over 65 a ‘coronavirus pack’ full of items they could be running low on.

'Coronavirus packs' made by Day-Today Drylaw Local. Picture: Day-Today Drylaw Local

The free packs - put together by The Day-Today Drylaw Local, on Easter Drylaw Place - include one pack of toilet roll, a bottle of hand sanitiser, a pack of tissues and a box of paracetamol.

Staff at the shop are even offering to deliver if they are unable to get to the store due to self-isolation.

After the kind gesture went viral on Twitter, one person wrote: "Not everyone can afford or have the ability to bulk buy yet it is still going on, thank goodness for people like this shop, more help than been offered by the authorities, bless you."

Another added: "Absolutely amazing thing to do, I hope people will remember the people and businesses that stood up and done what they could regardless of the cost for the people who needed it most.”

This comes as supermarkets have been forced to restrict the sale of some items after their shelves were left bare.

Checkout staff have a license to remove items from shoppers if they are trying to sneak extra items through.

Tesco shelves have been left empty. Picture: PA Images

Tesco has put a three-item maximum on items such as milk, pastas, baked beans and anti-bacterial wipes per person.

It also cut opening hours at all its 24-hour stores, it will now be open from 6am until 10pm in order to restock.

Meanwhile, customers at Sainsbury’s can only buy a maximum of three of any grocery product.

The first opening hour in every supermarket has also been set aside for elderly and vulnerable customers and they will also get priority with online delivery slots.