Don’t call 911 for toilet paper, asks Oregon police in Facebook post

A file photo shows shelves in a supermarket are empty of toilet paper as shoppers stock up on essential supplies in Washington, DC. Police in the northwestern US state of Oregon have urged citizens worried about the coronavirus pandemic not to call 911 if they run out of toilet paper. — AFP

LOS ANGELES: Police in the northwestern US state of Oregon have urged citizens worried about the coronavirus pandemic not to call 911 if they run out of toilet paper.

The novel coronavirus has prompted panic buying across much of the US, and overseas, with items including hand sanitizer, mineral water and toilet paper frequently disappearing from supermarket shelves.