Toughen up – supermarkets and shops told tight restrictions needed now
As Covid rates swirl out of control, supermarekts and shops are being warned that tighter restrictions are ont he way – and they need to shape up when it comes to mask wearing and in-store restrictions. The queues of lockdown one are likely to be back.
The UK government has warned that shops and supermarkets ‘must work harder to ensure Covid rules, such as social distancing measures and mask wearing, are followed in their stores or face tighter restrictions.’ A Public Health England study late last year found that supermarkets are the most likely place in the country for people to catch coronavirus, and data from the NHS Test and Trace service also found that 18 per cent of people who had contracted the virus had visited a store in the previous days.
Follow the rules
“We need to make sure supermarkets in particular are following the rules given this is one of the few places where you still see people from different households in the same indoor space,” a Government source said.
“So we will be looking at whether all the right protections are in place – including ensuring social distancing is being followed, that one way operations are in place, that there are limits on the number of people in stores at one time and that all customers are wearing masks.”
