Foodstuffs have been filled up on shelves at supermarkets and convenience stores and also abundant at wet markets in Hanoi on Sunday after locals rushed to buy in necessities following the first coronavirus infection case confirmed in the city.

Veggies are abundant at an Aeon supermarket in Long Bien district. Photo: Hanoimoi

Buying demand fell considerable on Sunday morning, in contrast with long queues of people waiting to buy perishable food and basic necessities such as rice, noodles, toilet paper, toothpaste and hand sanitizers a day earlier.

At a Vinmart supermarket in Hai Ba Trung district, shelves are full of foodstuffs, especially rice, vegetables and meat, while prices remain unchanged from previous day. Any item that is seen running out is added in a timely manner, a staff was quoted by Hanoimoi as saying.

Meanwhile, pork meat is abundant at stands in wet markets. A pork vendor in Mai Dong market said that prices turned back to normal today while sales were sluggish.

A pork stand on Sunday morning. Photo: Hanoimoi

On Saturday, pork prices shot up and meat, seafood quickly ran out in early morning. Prices of pork, the most common source of protein in the country, surged to more than VND300,000 ($12.93) per kilogram.

Speaking at a Ministry of Industry and Trade meeting on Saturday afternoon, Tran Thi Phuong Lan, deputy director of Hanoi’s Department of Industry and Trade, asserted that the retail network in the city can supply sufficient necessities for locals in any case, even in the event of a drastic surge in demand.

“Hanoi is committed to providing sufficient goods and locals don’t need to stockpile,” Lan affirmed, adding that psychological factors pushed up buying on Saturday morning.

Tran Thi Phuong Lan, deputy director of Hanoi’s Department of Industry and Trade, visit a Vinmart store. Photo: Le Nam/Kinh te Do thi

Nguyen Thi Phuong, deputy general director of Central Retail Vietnam, the operator of the Big C chain, said her company actively increased stock by 3 to 4-fold, particularly that of rice, noodles and toilet paper.

Nguyen Thai Dung, CEO of BRG Retail, said his chain made the same move and pledged not to raise prices of the demanded goods.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh asked retailers to ensure supplies and not to allow drastic price hikes, both in case of epidemic occurrence and not.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered government agencies to ensure food suppliers meet demands amid the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic in Hanoi. Market surveillance authorities are asked to investigate possible speculation and counterfeit goods.