Woolworths and Coles have lifted nationwide purchase limits on grocery purchases – although Woolies is still restricting toilet paper sales and has said limits will be reinstated if needed.

With an apparent easing in panic buying, shoppers will again be able to buy more than two frozen vegetables, milk, bread, some meats and other staples.

The essentials limits were re-introduced on June 26, after a surge in demand driven by fears of a second wave of coronavirus cases triggered by the Melbourne outbreak.

At the time Woolworths also said it would deploy nurses at stores and distribution centres in hotspot locations.

Coles made a similar decision to expand purchase restrictions in its Victorian, Tasmanian and some southern NSW outlets. On Tuesday, it urged customers to buy only what they needed as limits were abandoned.

Both companies said their supply chains were coping well with surging demand amid Melbourne’s virus wave – which has also hit workers at a massive Coles distribution centre.

Toilet paper shelves were stripped bare in the early days of the pandemic.

“We wish to thank customers for returning to their normal shopping routines over the past week,” Woolworths supermarkets managing director Claire Peters said.

“With demand moderating, there is more than enough stock flowing through from our distribution warehouses and into our stores to support all our customers’ grocery needs.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will not hesitate to reinstate product limits if needed.”

-with AAP