Welsh Government speaking to supermarkets to tighten safety measures after concerns over lack of social distancing

The Welsh Government is set to ‘work with’ major retailers to “make sure that people are safe when we go out shopping”.

It comes amid growing calls supermarkets and stores that have remained open to tighten measures to help protect staff and shoppers.

Locally there have been ongoing comments from shoppers who have been in touch concerned about the number of people in a supermarket who are ignoring social distancing and one way systems in place on some aisles.

Earlier today Plaid Cymru’s North Wales MS Llyr Gruffydd expressed concern for the safety of supermarket workers after receiving messages about social distancing.

Mr Gruffydd said: “Supermarket workers have been key workers throughout the pandemic and are expressing concern about the failure to ensure that safety guidance is being adhered to. In this current lockdown, we’re seeing looser rules operating in terms of allowing customers into supermarkets and fewer restrictions despite the worsening situation.

“It’s worse now than during the first wave but some supermarket managers seem to have thrown out that safety-first approach.

“Supermarkets are among the few places where people mix indoors now so it’s vital that they are as safe as they can be. Welsh Government has to insist on better social distancing and that’s why I’ve written to the relevant Minister to ask for greater clarity.

“The worst-case scenario is that supermarkets themselves have to close or limit opening because staff are falling ill and having to self-isolate. Hopefully we can get through this but it’s important that we keep all our keyworkers safe, whether they’re working in hospitals, care homes or retail.”

Speaking at today’s Welsh Government briefing First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed that the “stay at home” lockdown will remain in place for the next three weeks and – that Welsh Government would be ‘working with’ major supermarkets and retailers to “make sure that people are safe when we go out shopping”.

At the start of the pandemic in spring 2020 many supermarkets were limiting the number of customers in at any one time, along with one way systems and place and tannoy announcements reminding people to social distance.

Mr Drakeford said that he had been receiving more inquiries about safety in supermarkets than “any other issue” in recent weeks.

He said: “Those inquiries are expressing anxiety on behalf of the public, that the visible protections that they could see back in March, April and May of last year don’t appear to be there this time, despite the fact that in many ways with a more aggressive strain of the virus, those protections are needed even more.

“What we are talking to the supermarkets about is a more visible set of measures. You will know that back then, if you went to a supermarket, there was always somebody at the front door. That person was carefully controlling the numbers of people going into the supermarket to make sure that we were no more than a certain number of people in the store at any one time.

“Sanitising arrangements were very visible at the front door, you were directed to where you would clean a trolley and make sure that it was safe to be used when you were in the store.

“There were one way markings very prominently displayed, there would be our tannoy announcements regularly reminding people of the way in which they needed to conduct themselves in order to keep safe.

“When you came to pay for goods at the checkout there was somebody there directing people to the checkout to make sure people weren’t queuing next to each other over prolonged periods. There were markings on the floor so people kept at a two meter distance.

“Some of that is no longer as apparent to people as it was in the early days of a pandemic.”

“I want to make sure that those visible signs of the protections that are being offered to the public and the shop workers are in place again.”

“We’ve worked very closely with supermarkets, they’ve done a remarkably good job on our behalf.

“We need to make sure that those things that give people confidence that everything is being done to keep them safe is being done in this lockdown, as they were back in March and April.”

Commenting on the First Minister’s press conference today, Ben Francis, FSB Wales Policy Chair, said: On the new obligations for retailers in Wales; we will be very interested to see more about what extra measures the First Minister will require of shops. We’ve already asked to see more information on the technical data that informs the decisions that Welsh Government are making.

“It seems clear that businesses will require funding support for longer than was originally anticipated if they are to survive this troubling period. Welsh Government should urgently give clarity on what additional funding will be made available to support businesses beyond this next three week period to allow them to plan.

“The business support system in Wales has become increasingly muddy and difficult to navigate as new restriction measures have been adopted. Welsh Government should take this opportunity to re-establish exactly what businesses are entitled to and how they can access much-needed funding. It’s important to remember that after such a disastrous winter, financial support will be the difference between businesses weathering this pandemic or not.

“It is imperative that business support keeps pace with the severity and the length of restrictions that businesses are facing. It will be absolutely critical that businesses are able to be a part of the economic recovery, and for this to happen we must take steps to protect them now.”