News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Supermarket giant Tesco is rationing products as they battle to get a handle on coronavirus panic buying.

Shoppers have been stripping shelves of hand sanitiser, toilet roll and baked beans amid COVID-19 hysteria.

Now bosses at the UK's biggest supermarket have decided to limit customers to five items each of UHT milk, pasta and baked beans, both online and in store, reports the Telegraph.

On the supermarket giant's website, shoppers are told they have reached a five-item limit when trying to order the products.

The move comes as the number of cases in the UK soared to 209, rising by 45 on Saturday, after a second death was recorded in the UK.

It comes as videos were posted showing hoards of manic shoppers pushing trolleys piled high with long-life goods.

At Costco in Chingford, London, shoppers were limited to one case of water each due to reported shortages.

(Image: Lydia Stephens)

The man who filmed the panicked scenes said it was "very over the top" and people were "fighting and pushing in front of each other."

Meanwhile confirmed cases jumped by 45 to 209 yesterday - the biggest leap yet. And a second person, an 83-year-old great-grandfather who had been on a cruise, died from the virus.

Tesco is also limiting purchases of children's cough medicine, Calpol, wipes and sprays.

(Image: Shazia Awan-Scully) (Image: Valerio Berdini/Shutterstock)

Prices of hard-to-find hand gel have sky rocketed since cases were reported in the UK, with some online retailers stocking it at 5,000% more than normal, despite the fact medical experts say washing your hand with soap and water is more effective.

Masks, gloves and other protective products were also being snapped up.

Exploitative retailers inflating prices have previously been warned they could face prosecution.

(Image: The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)

World famous microbiologist Dr Peter Piot, who was one of the scientists at the forefront of the battle against Aids and helped discover Ebola, has warned the outbreak could last for six months and peak at Easter.

He added during an interview with The Times that it could resurface at winter meaning the quest for a vaccine, which is currently expected to take 18 months, is of great importance.

The government's worst case scenario would see 80% of the population infected, with a mortality rate of around 1%, but Dr Piot didn't think it would be that bad.

The mortality rate given by the World Health Organisation earlier this month was 3.4% but doesn't account for the anticipated large number of unconfirmed cases of people with the virus.

So far more than 100,000 have contracted COVID-19 globally and 3,600 have died, mainly in China where the outbreak started at the end of December.