"There are no reasons for panic buying at supermarkets, because this can generate alarm that is unjustified," João Torres told reporters at the end of a meeting of a working group between the Government, public entities and industry associations.

At the end of the meeting that took place at the Ministry of Economy, in Lisbon, to assess the impacts on the food distribution chain, the government official guaranteed that "there are no reasons for alarmism" and that the situations of "unusual demand" registered in supermarkets "do not they mean, in practice, that there are not enough 'stocks' to put these same products back on the shelf ".

However, João Torres admitted that in the face of the outbreak of the new coronavirus "it is naturally acceptable, in a certain proportion, for people to be able to make consumption options perhaps a little more reinforced than is normal".

"There are reasons for us to send a message of confidence and serenity to consumers and consumers. And serenity is not synonymous with irresponsibility, quite the opposite", reinforced the minister.

Recognising the increase in demand and asking whether it will be necessary in the future to ration the quantities of purchases, the Secretary of State said that at the meeting of economic operators in the agrifood industry, retail and distribution and logistics assured " all conditions to put products back on the shelf are in place".

"We are not on the verge of selling out of the most relevant and essential foodstuffs", assured João Torres.

The Secretary of State added that companies in the sector are articulating "to meet the needs that are happening as quickly as possible", so that "the rotation of products on the shelves is done".

Asked about the effect of Covid-19 on workers in the sector, and whether companies are prepared if they have to be quarantined, João Torres said that "all companies have contingency plans" and that the Government will assess the situation together with public entities and business associations "in the face of every concrete circumstance".

In the case of orders made at home via the Internet, João Torres acknowledged that "there is, even in the case of food retail, some delay in the logistical process of delivering products", but that, according to what industry associations reported to the Government, "should not be considered worrying".

The meeting was also attended by the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Nuno Russo, who said that associations in the productive and agrifood sector mentioned that "there is no problem with the national productive capacity" or its capacity of distribution.