New Zealand announced its first case of Covid-19 on Feb. 27.
Reuters reported that the patient, who is in their 60s, had just returned from Tehran, Iran, and had travelled on an Emirates Airline flight which stopped in Bali.
The patient arrived in Auckland on Feb. 26, and is currently being treated at Auckland City Hospital.
New Zealand's health ministry stated that their condition is improving, and that chances of a community outbreak "remain low".
Public health officials have started tracing the patient's contacts, and are testing the patient's family members for the virus.
Long queues form at supermarkets
And it seems that New Zealand is also no exception to the consequences of the paranoia that has gripped other countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea.
The announcement sparked a bout of panic buying in the country.
Photos and videos of crowds and long queues at supermarkets were circulated on social media.
A supermarket outlet, PAK'nSAVE at Royal Oak in Auckland, saw droves of people, some in masks, rushing to stock up on necessities.
Photo from @Paula_Korunic / Twitter
Photo from @Paula_Korunic / Twitter
The queues were so extensive, they snaked around and to the back of the supermarket.
Photo from @chumbawumpscut / Twitter
And all the way outside.
A photo of a sign placed at a PAK'nSAVE supermarket even stated that there would be a 30 minute wait to checkout.
Toilet paper and water gone
What's interesting though, are the how the items shoppers panic bought differ across countries.
Singapore saw its shoppers hoarding toilet paper, instant noodles and rice.
Japan stocked up on masks and toilet paper.
Koreans bought household essentials and other necessities.
Meanwhile, here's a prediction of what New Zealand shoppers would purchase.
It seems water is precious commodity—shelves of bottled water were cleared.
And so was toilet paper and flu medicine.
According to NZHerald, masks and hand sanitisers were sold out. One person they spoke to also had a trolley full of baked beans.
The chief executive of Foodstuffs, which owns PAK'nSAVE, New World and Foodstuffs, posted a tweet urging people to "shop normally", and assured that his staff had been working hard.
Top photo from @chumbawumpscut / Twitter and @KiwiPrepper / Twitter