The South Australian Government realised they’d messed up by not listing bottle shops as an essential service after two-hours of panic buying erupted.
South Australia has backflipped on original restrictions that would require bottle shops to remain closed whilst the state enters a six-day lockdown following a recent COVID-19 surge.
At 2 pm yesterday, media outlets reported that bottle-os would not be included on the list of ‘critical services’ to remain open, and as expected, chaos erupted.
Footage emerged of a long queue of cars waiting to get into their local bottleshop, while elsewhere, shelves were emptied. Six days is a long time.
In response to the panic buying Police Commissioner Grant Stevens stated, “This is completely unacceptable – there is no need for panic buying.”
The isles are empty again… pic.twitter.com/DM21FJWuGz
— thatstarwarsgirl77 (@thatstarwarsgrl) November 18, 2020
In realising their mistake, the South Australian Government was quick to update their website, while news outlets were also informed of the serious cock-up.
Two hours of mayhem spurred by people not wanting to go without alcohol for six days pretty much sums up exactly what Australians prioritise most.
To further hammer home the importance of alcohol, the official COVID-19 response now states that whilst residents are not to leave their house for exercise, they are allowed to go and visit bottle shops. I mean session drinking should be an Olympic sport at this point so it probably qualifies as an exercise in itself.
SO we can buy booze but can’t walk the dog. ok
— Eliza Berlage (@verbaliza) November 18, 2020
The lockdown came in effect at midnight last night, implemented in the hopes that the state can quickly get on top of the COVID-19 surge before it becomes a bigger issue and spirals into a multi-month lockdown as recently seen in Melbourne.
The list of services shut down in South Australia includes all schools and universities, pubs, restaurants, cafes, outdoors port, factories, construction, and aged care.
But thankfully, bottle shops will remain to fill the void.
