Covid-19 coronavirus: Countdown supermarket relaxes limits on some products

Countdown has changed the limits on some of its supermarket products in a bid to help Kiwis shop less often during the lockdown.

Packaged bread, beer and wine had a limit of four, Countdown announced yesterday on its Onecard dashboard to customers.

However, essentials still in high demand remained at a limit of two per person - these products include flour, pasta and long-life milk, canned baked beans and spaghetti, frozen veggies, household cleaners, sanitary products, baby formula, toilet paper, paper towels, body washes and paracetamol.

There were no limits on fresh produce, meat, deli, in-store bakery, seafood and Easter products, the supermarket chain announced.

Supermarkets would be closed as usual on Good Friday, however, they would be open again on Easter Sunday.

Last week, supermarkets told the Herald there was enough flour to go around but people were just buying it too fast.

It forced the supermarkets to plead again with the New Zealand public not to panic-buy during the lockdown, only purchasing what they needed.

Flour was arriving at stores each day but there could be lags while they got stock in from suppliers and out to stores, a Countdown spokesperson said.

"We've seen a massive increase in demand for a range of items, including flour, and we encourage customers to shop normally and not stock up."

Baking products were also in high demand at supermarkets New World, Pak'nSave and Four Square, Foodstuffs head of corporate affairs Antoinette Laird said.

"Our suggestion is customers focus on working through the baking items they have in their cupboards and give the supply chain a bit of a chance to get back up to normal levels."

Elsewhere, the Herald earlier revealed toilet paper had outstripped food as the most sought-after grocery product from supermarkets.

Two weeks remain in the lockdown, with the number of Covid-19 recoveries higher than the confirmed and probable cases yesterday - 65 compared to 54.

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Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said it was a good sign and Ardern described herself as "quietly confident and cautiously optimistic".

The total number of people who have recovered was 241.

To be classed as recovered, it must be at least 10 days since an infected person first had symptoms and they must have gone for at least two days without symptoms.

There were 12 people in hospital, including four in intensive care, one of whom was in a critical condition.