Coronavirus: Supermarket food stocks more than sufficient, government says

Supermarkets’ food stocks are more than sufficient, and no problems in this regard are envisaged, the government has said. 

The government this afternoon met with Malta’s major food importers and the owners of the island’s leading supermarkets to discuss food provisions in light of the developments surrounding Covid-19.

No problem were flagged by the market players, the government said. “The government was informed that the situation when it comes to food stocks is very good and supplies are more than sufficient.”

“In fact, food importers and supermarket owners are not expecting any kind of serious problems, now or in the future.”

The government encouraged people to avoid panic buying and to go about their normal shopping routines.


It highlighted that supermarkets were enclosed spaces, so over-crowding within them should be avoided. “Consumers should shop alone or keep the number of persons accompanying them to a minimum,” it added.

In the past days, supermarkets have seen a vast increase in business, with shoppers flocking to buy more products than usual as concerns about the coronavirus grow. 

Queues formed at the entrances of many of Malta’s food stores, as consumers rushed to ensure they had good supplies of daily essentials.