The nationwide supply of toilet rolls is now flush as supermarkets confirm they have plenty of stock available.
Following the announcement of New Zealand's first case of COVID-19, which caused a flood of panic-buying at supermarkets, shoppers should feel confident there are plenty of loo rolls to go round.
A Foodstuffs spokesperson said on Monday that as "hundreds of household items" - including most toilet paper brands - are made locally, supermarkets are in no danger of running dry.
"We advise shoppers to purchase toilet paper like they normally would," the spokesperson said.
Following the temporary closure of two Gilmours stores as a result of "overwhelming customer demand", the Mt Roskill branch confirmed on Monday that the store had 200 packs of 24-pack toilet rolls in stock.
Shoppers looking for the best deal on toilet rolls are encouraged to compare supermarket prices online, or contact their local discount store to check if stock is available.
In supermarkets, Monday's cheapest bulk buy toilet rolls are the 'Value' 2-ply Marine 12-pack, available at New World for $3.19 (0.26c per roll) and at Pak'nSave stores nationwide from $2.79 to $2.99 per pack ($0.23c to $0.25c per roll). At Countdown, the cheapest option is the ''Essentials' 2-ply 24-pack at $6.00 ($0.25 per roll).
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Elsewhere, among the best bulk deals available on Monday are the 'Soft Touch' 2-ply 32-pack toilet rolls for $8.50 at The Warehouse ($0.27c per roll).
A spokesperson for The Warehouse confirmed that they're "satisifed with stock levels" of toilet paper.
While toilet roll stocks are coping with demand, Foodstuffs said that hand sanitiser and face masks continue to be in short supply - and there's no indication of when products will be back on shelves.
"We're working with vendors to replenish supply of these specific items, but as of right now, we don't have an estimated timeframe on when stores' stock will be replenished," the spokesperson said.
"Some stores may already have product quantity limitations in place on certain high demand products, including hand sanitiser," the spokesperson added.
On Monday morning, there were over 109,000 confirmed Coronavirus cases around the world, with cases outside of China expected to overtake the number of cases inside the country by Monday next week.
Current information on Coronavirus can be found on the Ministry of Health website.
