As novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to increase worldwide, panic-fuelled supermarket brawls show no sign of slowing down amid the escalating tension.
The stockpiling frenzy has seen fisticuffs over toilet paper, with one Australian being tasered for inciting a bog roll battle. Now in the US state of Georgia, two men have been injured after wielding wine bottles at one another in a tense altercation.
According to NBC News, the brawl broke out in the wine aisle of Sam's Club, a wholesale bulk goods' seller similar to Costco.
The argument began when a man in a motorised shopping cart collided with another cart carrying a couple's child, Hiram Police Sergeant Edwin Ivey told NBC News in a statement.
The couple allegedly confronted the man, the woman striking him with her hand and accusing him of intentionally charging the family.
The man attempted to back off but the couple continued to "escalate the confrontation further", Sgt. Ivey said.
The man grabbed a wine bottle in defence, prompting the other man to also arm himself. The two then proceeded to battle each other with the bottles.
"The altercation continued after the bottles were broken, causing lacerations to both parties," the statement said.
The fall-out was captured by an onlooker, the video amassing more than 2.1 million views on Twitter.
Officers found the two men with minor injuries, surrounded by bystanders.
The names of the man and the couple will not be released, but Ivey confirmed all three will face criminal charges.
Panic-fuelled shopping escalates in Australia
In Australia, supermarkets continue to be inundated with customers preparing for potential self-isolation.
The chaos has been widely circulated on social media, with photos and videos documenting unprecedented queues, overcrowding and full trolleys as several shopping centres.
"Today is the day people really started to panic. Woolies is absolutely packed. Shelves are empty in some aisles and it’s still early morning. People are pushing two completely full trolleys," one Twitter user observed.
"Going by the length of lines in Woolies this morning, the news from yesterday has marked a distinct change," another shared.
Earlier this month, two women engaged in a violent brawl over a single toilet paper pack in a Sydney supermarket.
Video has also emerged of another Sydney supermarket scuffle involving two panic-buyers on Sunday.
Recent developments in the COVID-19 pandemic include several European countries going into lockdown while severe travel restrictions and major event cancellations are implemented worldwide.
