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Supermarkets and Covid-19

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route101

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At some point we will be back to a westerlies pattern, if not there already. This is a fairly well understood feature of U.K. weather, which normally occurs some time around June.

Indeed the transition from wall-to-wall blue sky a couple of weeks ago to cloudy unsettled days suggests that this has already happened.

That’s not to say we won’t see fine weather over the summer, however it’s quite likely we’ve seen the end of what we saw over April and May.

How that might affect those supermarket queues and beer gardens of course remains to be seen.

In Scotland the weather usually turns in July to become more unsettled. August is usually quite damp
 
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al78

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In Scotland the weather usually turns in July to become more unsettled. August is usually quite damp

Driest and sunniest months in Scotland are May and June, there is a notable increase in rainfall and decrease in sunshine in July and August climatologically.
 

YorksDMU

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Well, Tesco, in Beverley, have, this week, gone back to normal opening hours, with no more one way systems. Also we are now free to use any checkout we like without having to queue for someone to direct us to one. It was a much more relaxing experience. We are just ‘advised’ to try and keep two metres from other shoppers and members of staff if we can. But everyone is now back to passing each other in the aisles like they used to before all the restrictions came in back in March.
I felt quite safe and happy in there, and regarding masks, not many people had them on.
 

Enthusiast

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Well, Tesco, in Beverley, have, this week, gone back to normal opening hours, with no more one way systems.
Exactly the same for me in my local Tesco Extra this morning. No one way systems, no queuing to get in, no single queue to pay. As above, just a few gentle reminders to try to keep a distance from other shoppers and staff. This, coupled with my very pleasant experience yesterday having a much needed haircut (virtually no difference except that my lady barber wore a face covering - and the prices had increased!) makes me think that common sense may be starting to prevail. I saw the Tesco store manager as I shopped (he is a "passing acquaintance") and told him I was pleased to see things back to normal. "Well somebody has to be the first to return to normal and we decided it might as well be us".
 

ashkeba

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[...] everyone is now back to passing each other in the aisles like they used to before all the restrictions came in back in March.
I felt quite safe and happy in there, and regarding masks, not many people had them on.
If all Tesco go like that, it will be interesting to see how long before first outbreak linked to one. Will this Government dare name and Shame such a large retailer?
 
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talldave

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If all Tesco go like that, it will be interesting to see how long before first outbreak linked to one. Will this Government dare name and Shane such a large retailer?
Did they name & shame retailers in wave 1? Hmmm, no. Funnily enough nothing's changed so there's no chance of any such stupidity.
 

Mag_seven

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Exactly the same for me in my local Tesco Extra this morning. No one way systems, no queuing to get in, no single queue to pay. As above, just a few gentle reminders to try to keep a distance from other shoppers and staff. This, coupled with my very pleasant experience yesterday having a much needed haircut (virtually no difference except that my lady barber wore a face covering - and the prices had increased!) makes me think that common sense may be starting to prevail. I saw the Tesco store manager as I shopped (he is a "passing acquaintance") and told him I was pleased to see things back to normal. "Well somebody has to be the first to return to normal and we decided it might as well be us".

Same in mine yesterday - people did attempt to distance but it was recognised on some aisles it was not possible and no ill feeling as a result. Was a pleasure to walk round the shop just getting on with some shopping rather than worrying if you were going to upset someone by getting too close.
 

bramling

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Exactly the same for me in my local Tesco Extra this morning. No one way systems, no queuing to get in, no single queue to pay. As above, just a few gentle reminders to try to keep a distance from other shoppers and staff. This, coupled with my very pleasant experience yesterday having a much needed haircut (virtually no difference except that my lady barber wore a face covering - and the prices had increased!) makes me think that common sense may be starting to prevail. I saw the Tesco store manager as I shopped (he is a "passing acquaintance") and told him I was pleased to see things back to normal. "Well somebody has to be the first to return to normal and we decided it might as well be us".

My nearest big Tesco is similar. The queueing zig-zag out the front disappeared a week or two ago, and apart from the one-way arrows down each aisle (which in a spacious store actually seem to work quite well) an evening visit now looks and feels reassuringly normal.

Part of that is that the neurotic brigade seem to stick to the daytime - which is ironic as if they’re so scared then wouldn’t one expect them to visit at a quiet time? In the evenings virtually no one is wearing a mask, and therefore no dirty looks.
 

Baxenden Bank

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Did they name & shame retailers in wave 1? Hmmm, no. Funnily enough nothing's changed so there's no chance of any such stupidity.
If all Tesco go like that, it will be interesting to see how long before first outbreak linked to one. Will this Government dare name and Shame such a large retailer?
No, because it is difficult (or at least time consuming) to prove the path of the virus. Mabel may have caught it in the supermarket, or in the store car park, or at the filling station, or in the fast-food outlet on the same retail park.

I guess there are very few cases (if any) of Coronavirus being randomly transmitted between people who have had passing contact. However, as the government refuses to supply detailed data of cases, even (until recently) to those charged locally with dealing with outbreaks, I guess we will never really know.
 

adc82140

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If all Tesco go like that, it will be interesting to see how long before first outbreak linked to one. Will this Government dare name and Shame such a large retailer?

It is nigh on impossible to transmit Covid from routine interactions in supermarkets. You need to be in close contact (less than 2 metres) with someone for 10-15 minutes. I wouldn't recommend stopping to chat to an old mate in there, but going about your routine business is low risk.
 

Smidster

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If all Tesco go like that, it will be interesting to see how long before first outbreak linked to one. Will this Government dare name and Shame such a large retailer?

That rather assumes that there were outbreaks linked to Supermarkets to begin with.

All of the evidence I have seen suggests that the vast majority of transmission is between people who are at close distance for a prolonged period of time - this is why it makes sense to have precautions in those situations. I hate wearing a mask as much as the next person on public transport but I can see the rationale behind it.

In normal retail settings you just don't have that sort of lengthy interaction between people - The most you would ever have are at the checkouts and all of the perspex should deal with that.

All credit to Tesco - Hope others follow suit.
 

Darandio

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If all Tesco go like that, it will be interesting to see how long before first outbreak linked to one. Will this Government dare name and Shame such a large retailer?

I'm sick to death of reading rubbish like this now. People who post, read and take in stuff like this are the same people that would rather jump into a busy road than simply pass someone on the street.
 

Jamesrob637

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Same in mine yesterday - people did attempt to distance but it was recognised on some aisles it was not possible and no ill feeling as a result. Was a pleasure to walk round the shop just getting on with some shopping rather than worrying if you were going to upset someone by getting too close.

I'd be happy if that became the new norm. You don't spend that long in supermarkets anyway, and certainly more than a few seconds stood still unless you're waiting for the butcher to cut some meat etc.
 

Jamesrob637

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It is nigh on impossible to transmit Covid from routine interactions in supermarkets. You need to be in close contact (less than 2 metres) with someone for 10-15 minutes. I wouldn't recommend stopping to chat to an old mate in there, but going about your routine business is low risk.

Very few did that even pre-COVID-19 to be fair. It was usually that you'd bump into somebody but arrange to meet in a pub or at someone's home for a proper catch-up.
 

Class 33

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Excellent news that Tesco Supermarkets have gone back to near normal. A step in the right direction. We can't keep going with this social distancing nonsense for too much longer. Hope other supermarkets follow suite soon. We really need to be easing out of social distancing now.....

Sainsbury's seems to be the worst offenders in my experience. My local Sainsbury's Supermarket(as opposed to the smaller "Sainsbury's Local" branches), has a very strict one way system through part of it, which people have to pass through upon entering to get to the majority of aisles. And you can't take any short-cuts(even when it's very quiet in there) because the entrances between aisles are blocked off with stacks of baskets or whatever. It means when I go in there and want to just go quickly over to the aisles where the bread or milk are, it means having to zig-zag my way though about 8 aisles to get there, and taking about 20 times longer to get there! And then the entrance/queue to the self checkouts are partitioned off by high wooden boards! And then each self checkout is partitioned off by high perspex dividers, and it's like going into a cubicle! And then there's "Please respect social distancing. Stay 2 metres part" notices all over the place in there. Absolutely ridiculous and over the top! I hate it in there now. And have in fact avoided going in there for over a month. I usually do my shopping in Aldi, Lidl and Iceland. Even though they're a bit more of a trek/time consuming for me to get there and back. But I have to get a few things tonight, so I'll goto that Sainsbury's tonight and see what it's like now. I bet it's the same old nonsense though and nothing's changed!
 

Tom B

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I believe that every Tesco changed procedures today; removal of the one-way system being one aspect, effective removal of the queue (because the social distancing rule changes have increased capacity by 50%) being another. Supposedly more main bank tills open too.
 

adc82140

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Are Sainsbury's still playing the Captain Tom version of You'll Never Walk Alone every 10 bleedin' minutes at full volume? Don't get me wrong, Tom Moore is worthy of every honour he's got and seems like a thoroughly nice man, but he can't sing. It was one of the main reasons I stopped going to my local branch.
 

Bishopstone

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On 15th March, my local Morrisons were playing ‘Stayin Alive’ by the Bee Gees, which I thought was an act of macabre genius.
 

Busaholic

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I believe that every Tesco changed procedures today; removal of the one-way system being one aspect, effective removal of the queue (because the social distancing rule changes have increased capacity by 50%) being another. Supposedly more main bank tills open too.
My Tesco had already changed yesterday, so it didn't take me long to find they didn't stock what I'd gone in for!
 

6862

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One way system is gone from my local Tesco, made doing my midweek shop much quicker and simpler!
 

trebor79

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I'll be doing our weekly big shop at Tesco tomorrow evening. We went back to online delivery for one week but I honestly find it more stressful and time consuming than just doing the shop, and they always send ridiculous fruit and veg selections. Anyway, I digress...
Good news if the one way etc has gone. Noticed the barriers preventing you getting back to the fruit and veg from the end of the other aisles had disappeared last week. The zig zag queue outside had gone too, not that I'd ever been there when it was busy enough to queue. They stopped sanitising trollies several weeks ago and they've got rid of the ghetto blaster in the queuing area.
Sainsbury's still seem to be in full flow though. All the staff have badges telling you to stay 2m away. Davina McCall yells some mumbo jumbo every few minutes over the tannoy and there's a nice lady controlling the queue to get in who has to try and persuade people to use done fast smart shop app where you scan stuff with your phone so you don't need to touch a till. Seems kind of pointless when you have to touch the stuff you're buying! Nobody seems to use the app.
 

bramling

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I'll be doing our weekly big shop at Tesco tomorrow evening. We went back to online delivery for one week but I honestly find it more stressful and time consuming than just doing the shop, and they always send ridiculous fruit and veg selections. Anyway, I digress...
Good news if the one way etc has gone. Noticed the barriers preventing you getting back to the fruit and veg from the end of the other aisles had disappeared last week. The zig zag queue outside had gone too, not that I'd ever been there when it was busy enough to queue. They stopped sanitising trollies several weeks ago and they've got rid of the ghetto blaster in the queuing area.
Sainsbury's still seem to be in full flow though. All the staff have badges telling you to stay 2m away. Davina McCall yells some mumbo jumbo every few minutes over the tannoy and there's a nice lady controlling the queue to get in who has to try and persuade people to use done fast smart shop app where you scan stuff with your phone so you don't need to touch a till. Seems kind of pointless when you have to touch the stuff you're buying! Nobody seems to use the app.

I haven’t been in my local Sainsbury’s at all since March, the couple of times I’ve ventured past has shown me all I need to see. That combined with one of the London stores having caused upset during the lockdown with an indifferent attitude to essential workers.

Likewise my local Waitrose is well and truly off my list after they attempted to stop two of us going in together, which after we had a bit of a go they relented on but still insisted we took separate trolleys.

Tesco’s round here does seem to have provided the best experience.
 

adc82140

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Sainsbury's refused me entry because I'm an NHS worker. I was told 7.30 to 8am was "my time". Wasn't trying to queue jump or anything, the rent a thug on the door recognised me from a previous 7.30am visit.
 

trebor79

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Sainsbury's refused me entry because I'm an NHS worker. I was told 7.30 to 8am was "my time". Wasn't trying to queue jump or anything, the rent a thug on the door recognised me from a previous 7.30am visit.
Oh dear, someone obviously misunderstood NHS only 0730-0800! How was he ensuring nobody else was NHS?
There really are some thick ****s in the world aren't there?
 

Bikeman78

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Davina McCall yells some mumbo jumbo every few minutes over the tannoy and there's a nice lady controlling the queue to get in who has to try and persuade people to use done fast smart shop app where you scan stuff with your phone so you don't need to touch a till. Seems kind of pointless when you have to touch the stuff you're buying! Nobody seems to use the app.
I tried using the App back in April. It wouldn't scan the barcodes. I got fed up within two minutes and went back to the old fashioned way. As you say, hardly anyone is using it.

My local Sainsburys is still the cycle park as trolley storage. So much for encouraging people to cycle.
 

adc82140

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As in it's Sainsbury's official policy that NHS staff can only shop 0730-0800 each day?

I'd take that straight to the Press if you've got it in writing, they'd have a field day with it.

It was only verbally over the phone. I did repeatedly ask if it was corporate policy. They said yes, but I don't think it is.
 
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