Panic buying in Perth as lockdown begins despite Premier Mark McGowan’s plea for calm

Long queues have been forming outside supermarkets across the Perth metropolitan area despite the WA Premier urging people not to panic-buy as the state heads into its first coronavirus lockdown in nine months.

Announcing the five-day lockdown, Mark McGowan urged people to act calmly and take sensible precautions, saying people would still be able to leave their homes to buy food and essentials.

But within half an hour…