Covid-19: Supermarket rules and guidance

Wear a mask or face covering

Despite face covering in shops becoming compulsory back in 2020, a number of supermarkets have tightened their policies on this in recent days.

A face mask or covering MUST legally be worn in stores, unless you have a legitimate medical exemption.

Morrisons and Sainsbury's were the first to announce they will now have trained security guards on the doors of their stores to challenge people who aren't wearing a mask. Other giants such as ASDA, Tesco and Waitrose were quick to follow with these new rules.

Keep a safe distance apart in stores

With floor stickers and posters all around stores, supermarket guidelines state customers should try and keep a safe distance of 2 metres away from other customers whilst shopping.

Use antibacterial gel on your hands and trolley

All UK supermarkets advise customers to clean their hands with antibacterial gel on both entry and exit from stores.

Most supermarkets also supply cleaning products for baskets and trolleys, which can be found at the front of the store.

Use card payment if possible

Supermarkets are advising their customers to use card payment (contactless payment) where possible in store, this is to avoid passing over cash to the cashier.

However, if you don't have a card, all supermarkets are accepting cash payments.

Touch less where you can

Customers are being advised to not touch items unless you are going to buy them, to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Only shop for essentials

As the latest Government advice states people should only visit the shops for 'essential items', supermarkets are trying to encourage customers to do this.

Unlike scenes in some parts of the country during the first lockdown, no supermarkets have any sections of their stores cordoned off.

Limited number of people in stores

Although this one is more or less out of your control, most supermarkets are only allowing a limited number of people in stores, which means safe queuing may be needed outside.

A number of supermarkets, including Aldi, Tesco and Lidl, have introduced traffic light systems on their doors to ensure a safe number of customers are inside at one time.

Elderly and vulnerable customers are also advised to shop at certain times of the day, with 7pm-10pm being dubbed the 'most quiet'.

What is Covid-19?

Covid-19 emerged as a virus in December 2019 as the first cases are reported in Wuhan, China. Scientifically known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus created a global pandemic as it began to spread around the world. Symptoms can range from very mild to severe, causing death in some cases. Some people are completely asymptomatic and do not realise they even have the virus.

Has there been a virus like this before?

The SARS pandemic in 2003 was similar to Covid-19 in that it was also caused by a coronavirus. SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The global outbreak of SARS lasted from 2002-2003, infecting over 8,000 people and killing 774. Covid-19 and SARS are both respiratory illnesses, but SARS was much more deadly and less infectious.

What are the main symptoms?

The NHS say the main Covid-19 symptoms are a high temperature, a new and continuous cough and loss or change to taste of sense or smell. NHS advises people with Covid-19 to take plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and take paracetamol for a high temperature.

What was the Government reaction?

The UK Government announced the first of several lockdowns in March 2020. By the end of the month, more than 100 countries around the world introduce full or partial lockdowns, preventing people from going to work, restricting everyday tasks and affecting the livelihoods of billions of people globally.

Which countries have been worst hit?

During the first year of the pandemic, the US recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world and the most deaths, reporting an unprecedented 100,000 new cases in one day on November 4th 2020. Thousands of new cases were recorded on the same date in India (46,000+), the United Kingdom (22,000+), Brazil (17,000+) and Mexico (5,000+), while Ireland records less than 1,000 (578). Hundreds of other countries also reported a high rate of infection.

How have vaccines fought against Covid-19?

Vaccines began being approved for use across the globe. By January 2021, the UK approved the use of three different vaccines. The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are rolled out to the public, with older people and those with greater health concerns getting priority. In April 2022, just under 53 million people had received at least one dose of the vaccine.

What are new Covid variants?

Four new variants of Covid-19 were discovered around the world. Beta was found in South Africa, Gamma in Brazil and Delta in India, while the Alpha variant was first located in Kent, UK. New variants are not likely to make someone more seriously ill than Covid-19 would, but variants like Delta have a higher infection rate, meaning it can be more easily spread.

The Omicron variant was first detected late 2021 in South Africa. Since then, it has become one of the most dominant variants in the world, with its own sub strains - BA.4 and BA.5.