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‘COVID absenteeism’ blamed for supermarket food shortages, gaps expected to grow

Briana FioreThe West Australian
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Coles shelves are running out of products.
Camera IconColes shelves are running out of products. Credit: Supplied.

“COVID absenteeism” is being blamed for the gaps on supermarket shelves.

It’s the term used to describe the labour shortages caused by workers in isolation.

And grocers have warned the gaps will likely grow past February 5 - especially when West Aussies start to be sidelined by the virus.

Most of the produce sourced locally in WA - such as meat and milk - is still available.

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However, products from Omicron hotspots New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, are hard to find.

Among the products missing from WA aisles include canned food such as beans and tomatoes and cleaning products including soap and tissues.

ALDI chief executive Tom Daunt said the absenteeism had been seen from farms to factories, where fruit pickers, meat processors and truck drivers were all off work.

Mr Daunt said this created logistical hurdles in getting products to stores.

Woolworths estimated almost a third of its workers were absent due to COVID, which was causing material delays.

But Premier Mark McGowan said supply lines were still strong - with 227 trucks coming through the Eucla border on Sunday.

He said the drivers were receiving rapid antigen tests to ensure they were not carrying the virus.

“Truck drivers bring in food, provisions and essentials from the factories and the farms in the east so we have to have it (COVID testing),” Mr McGowan said.

Coles asked for people to treat its team with kindness and respect and purchase only what they needed.

IGA Glendalough manager Peter Sullivan said most of the independent stores stocked local products and still had stock available.

Mr Sullivan said his biggest shortage was with Golden Circle juices as they were made interstate.

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