BATHURST residents have been encouraged not to fall back into bad habits as the early signs of a return to panic buying emerge.
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Supermarkets in Bathurst are seeing increased demand for toilet paper, with some reintroducing limits on the number of items that can be purchased in a transaction.
READ MORE: Supermarkets reinstate toilet paper limit
The demand for toilet paper and similar products comes as parts of Victoria, around Melbourne, have been recording increased numbers of new COVID-19 cases due to outbreaks.
While shelves have not been entirely stripped in Bathurst, there is evidence of panic buying.
Managing director Hamish Thompson says there's been a little bit more demand for toilet paper at his Westpoint and Trinity Heights shopping centre IGAs, but not enough to reintroduce buying limits at this stage.
He doesn't expect the situation will escalate to the extremes seen earlier this year.
"I don't think it's going to be quite what it was last time. They've found where to buy them and then there's not the new threat from China and all that stuff, so people will buy up a little bit and then they'll get sick of it again," Mr Thompson said.
He added that the demand also wasn't across a range of products like it was before.
There are no signs yet of increased sales of items such as pasta, flour, sugar and frozen vegetables, which were among the items stores imposed limits on previously.
Mr Thompson said there is plenty of stock available when it comes to toilet paper, so there's no need be buying excess.
Mayor Bobby Bourke has encouraged Bathurst residents to remember that the situation in NSW is different to that in Victoria.
"I think we've learned from that panic buying; I don't think it helped anyone and I think a lot of people still have toilet paper on their top shelf," he said.
"Melbourne is in a different state altogether, they have different rules and regulations, and I don't think NSW needs to take anything out of that."
While he certainly supports people buying local, he said there is no need to buy certain products excessively.
NSW continues to record low numbers of new cases almost daily, but the majority of them are return travellers who are in hotel quarantine.
Bathurst itself has not recorded a new case in months.
Cr Bourke said, as long as people continue to follow the advice from government and health authorities, it's unlikely Bathurst will have an outbreak.
"Treat it [the same] as any time of the year when hygiene should be the first thing you look at," he said.
