Author Topic: Covid-- safe shopping.  (Read 14889 times)

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Offline SteveH

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #15 on: March 28, 2020, 10:49:58 am »
We are finding it increasingly difficult to get food deliveries, which brings up the question of who is considered "Vulnerable" I tried a couple of shops yesterday, advising them that we were Vulnerable, and told they had no slots, and to find volunteers to help, so how do you register as "Vulnerable" simpler in England, fill an online form, but here  https://gov.wales/get-coronavirus-support-extremely-vulnerable-person  we are told People who are extremely vulnerable to coronavirus due to an existing health condition will receive a letter from Wales’ Chief Medical Officer., but that depends if you are on the vulnerable list, and as yet no letter.

This needs sorted quickly, as above, we are already finding difficulties.

Coronavirus: England-only priority online shopping 'ridiculous'

People forced to self-isolate have expressed frustration at not being included in a programme to help prioritise food deliveries for those unable to leave the house.

Supermarkets have access to a UK government database of 1.5m vulnerable shoppers in England.

Philip Pearce from Bridgend said he was vulnerable and it was "ridiculous" he could not sign up.

The Welsh Government said it was urgently working to resolve the issue.

Mr Pearce said: "I tried to shop at Sainsbury's this morning and because I am classified as vulnerable, I thought I'd be able to register quite easily.
"I went onto the UK government's web page but found I couldn't sign up because I live in Wales.

full story  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-52063785

Offline Dave

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #16 on: March 28, 2020, 04:02:08 pm »
Any local shopping experiences to share?
One of us will have to venture to buy some food next week having not been for 10 days now so best experiences including store , day and time would be appreciated to help us decide which one to choose.


Offline Meleri

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #17 on: March 28, 2020, 04:48:30 pm »
My sister went to one of the golden oldie shopping hours between 9-10am at Tesco Llandudno Junction this week, they are Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Priority is given to the elderly so if there are younger people they have to wait until 10am, so she only had a 5 minute wait. They are working on a one out one in basis & only have 20 customers in the store at any one time. You do have to queue outside at 2 metre intervals. There are sanitizers & paper towels to wipe the baskets. You are asked keep a 2 metre distance in store, so you have to wait if another person is picking something you want. At the checkout there is a cross by the till you have to stand on until the checkout operator gives you instructions. They now have screens between the customer & operator. In all, my sister found it very well organised & everyone behaved as they should.

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #18 on: March 28, 2020, 09:48:45 pm »
We go to Aldi once a week ( what we forget we do without !)and found our experience very good. We waited about 5 mins outside.  A young man counted us in and it is a one way system with no turning back. The staff were all as normal, polite and cheery. Most customers were quite amenable apart from one old lady with a trolley and a shopping bag on wheels who kept blocking the aisle like a wagon train and holding up the system. She very nearly ended up with my walking stick making contact with her behind . There's always one !
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #19 on: March 31, 2020, 11:24:25 am »
There was a lot in the press last week, on this subject, "the scandal of food wasted due to panic buying"

This morning 8:43am    pioneer
Busiest month on record for supermarkets
March was the busiest month on record for supermarkets across Britain as shoppers rushed to stock up on vital supplies to see them through the coronavirus pandemic.

Grocery sales rose by a staggering 20.6% in the last four weeks, and 7.6% in the last 12, according to new data from Kantar, beating even Christmas shopping.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: "Retailers and their staff have been on the front line as households prepare for an extended stay at home, with grocery sales amounting to £10.8 billion during the past four weeks alone - that's even higher than levels seen at Christmas, the busiest time of year under normal circumstances."

Millions of pounds worth of panic buying food heading in the bin               
As people overstock, bins are overflowing

As people prepare to self-isolate to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, many are afraid that they will run out of everyday essentials.
But as people flock to the shops to fill their cupboards, is this doing more harm than good?
BusinessWaste.co.uk, a national waste collection company, warns that panic buying will result in more food being thrown away as people are buying far more than they need.[/b]
https://www.businesswaste.co.uk/millions-of-pounds-worth-of-panic-buying-food-heading-in-the-bin/

Offline Ian

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #20 on: March 31, 2020, 11:33:43 am »
Maybe it ought to be made a crime to throw away significant quantities of food at this time. It's certainly criminal, the way some have behaved.   But...the supermarkets could have acted earlier to prevent this.

Why is it that no one in the UK in government or industry seems to be able to think ahead?
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Meleri

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #21 on: March 31, 2020, 11:49:44 am »
There are 6 healthy neighbours with four cars living in a house nearby who go out daily. A few days ago four of them went out & returned with a large quantity of beer/lager. They had a large delivery from Tesco the following day & the delivery chap had to hammer on the door & they finally took the items in off the step in their dressing gowns, just after lunch time. You could say it's none of my business & normally it wouldn't bother me, but when there are housebound people not able to get a Tesco delivery slot, this really makes me very angry  &shake&

Offline SteveH

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #22 on: March 31, 2020, 11:56:15 am »
Maybe it ought to be made a crime to throw away significant quantities of food at this time. It's certainly criminal, the way some have behaved.   But...the supermarkets could have acted earlier to prevent this.
Why is it that no one in the UK in government or industry seems to be able to think ahead?

Agreed.....These are the photos from a Coventry newspaper last week, some saying a disgrace, others saying left by foreign students who had to leave their accommodations in a hurry, to get back to their own countries ?   my cynical mind is working overtime.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #23 on: April 01, 2020, 11:23:41 am »
This is serious, these drivers are working around the clock, to keep the country fed.

Delivery drivers say they are being denied access to toilets at some service stations and petrol garages over coronavirus fears.

Cross Transport, which delivers to supermarkets, said drivers were being told to stay in their cabs when they arrive at distribution centres.
"We'll end up not getting deliveries done because drivers won't stand for it," manager Karl Starkey said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-52103571

Offline Dave

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #24 on: April 01, 2020, 02:15:54 pm »
Did our shopping in Aldi today and I have to say it was very civilised, in fact I'd go as far to say as it's the best food shopping experience in a long time. Waited just a few minutes to enter the store, no pressure from behind to go faster. Most things in stock, got all I wanted and needed to last the coming week ( except  the one thing I walked past and couldn't then return to pick up) so I'm happy.
Popped in to Wilko next door and at long last bought a bottle of hand sanitiser too. The limit is 2 per person but 1 was sufficient for now.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #25 on: April 02, 2020, 10:25:45 am »
Supermarket worker's powerful message to store 'browsers' putting staff 'at risk' during lockdown
Stores have been inundated with stockpilers who are panic buying as the UK spends a second week in lockdown

"We are in a STATE OF EMERGENCY. This is NOT A VACATION! Every customer who walks in our doors PUTS US AT RISK. We really don't want to be here, but we realize that we are needed.

"YOU don't see how many times a day we wash and sanitize our hands to try to keep ourselves safe. YOU don't see our upset co-workers in the break room struggling to keep their composure. YOU don't see our spouses who worry about us every minute we are at work and who are our strength when we get home.

"We have our jobs to do and we realize the IMPORTANCE OF OUR JOB TO YOU. The LEAST you can do is come in with a sense of purpose, get what you need, and get yourselves HOME ... IN AND OUT.


Full story   https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/supermarket-workers-powerful-message-store-18025546

Offline Ian

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #26 on: April 02, 2020, 10:33:24 am »
Yet unbelievably, thee are still some around who believe this is a conspiracy by the government. I'm part of a small team answering questions on the Which? website and some of the posts are truly bizarre:

Xxx says
The government are lying to us, it is obvious there is no covid19 epidemic.


While this level of paranoia and ignorance persists, what chance do we have of keeping everyone safe?

Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #27 on: April 08, 2020, 10:04:25 am »
Tesco tells people to visit stores to get food
Tesco says most food will still need to be purchased in-store amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The supermarket giant says it isn't able to meet demand as more shoppers stay at home, despite the fact it has increased its online grocery shopping capacity by more than 20%.

It said in the first weeks of the virus, there was "significant panic buying", with sales up almost a third.

Tesco said that had now subsided with food stocks "returning to normal".

"Between 85% and 90% of all food bought will require a visit to a store and here significant changes to the store environment have been implemented to maximise safety for colleagues and customers," the retailer said.           ref BBC

Offline SteveH

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #28 on: April 08, 2020, 03:44:09 pm »
Julie James AM's press conference this afternoon.........Supermarket delivery issues

 "Supermarkets have all received shielded letters and we've had extensive conversations reiterating that where possible shielded (vulnerable) people can have delivery slots prioritised.

"Food boxes are being delivered directly to people, that system is not yet fully rolled out but will be very quickly.

"The numbers of vulnerable people are very unlikely to get their delivery slot of their choice. Where possible people should have others going to the supermarket for them.

"We have to understand the scale of this (88,000 vulnerable people across Wales)."


The issue of "Vulnerable people" in Wales is beginning to cause a lot of confusion, there appears to be a large number, who have not received the governments "shielded letter" for "high risk", despite meeting the criteria, myself and a few acquaintances, I have written to the local MP and local council, for advice and information, this is more important , than food delivery priorities, We need to know that the various government and medical departments are aware of us, if the situation warrants it.

On the government web site, it says if you have not received your letter by the 6th Apr. contact your GP, ......they can do nothing.

There are two letters in circulation at the moment, a general government advice letter, with leaflets, and the important "Shielded letter"

I would be interested to know if there are others locally, in the same situation, or who have received theirs on the forum or by PM.     Steve

Offline Dave

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Re: Covid-- safe shopping.
« Reply #29 on: April 08, 2020, 08:05:31 pm »
Weekly shop done at Aldi, the guy that controls the queue deserves a mention, brilliantly organised. Lot more people there today. It's a holiday weekend but for most that doesn't make a difference, maybe more folk have heard that it's a better shopping experience there than in other stores. Shame the bloke behind me a) told me he's been to Tesco's on Monday...why back here already where he's never shopped before apparently, didn't make sense b) then he couldn't get the hang of social distancing and just couldn't stop encroaching my space which wouldn't get him out of the store any quicker but some folk just don't get it.
Oh well, I won't be back for a week anyway.
Hopefully I'm still virus free.
Keep safe everyone .... and keep your distance!!