Retailers plead with public to follow Covid rules

The plea came after prime minister Boris Johnson urged the public to follow face mask rules and one-way systems while in supermarkets during lockdown.

Johnson said: “We need to enforce the rules in supermarkets. When people are getting takeaway drinks, in cafes, then they need to avoid spreading the disease there, avoid mingling too much.”

The prime minister’s comments prompted Morrisons to ban customers who refuse to wear face coverings from its shops. From Monday, customers who refuse to wear face-coverings offered by staff will not be allowed inside, unless they are medically exempt. Sainsbury’s also said it would challenge those not wearing a mask or who were shopping in groups.

In response, Chris Noice, communications director of the ACS, tweeted: “Your daily reminder that supermarkets aren’t all of retail. There are almost 50,000 c-stores in the UK that don’t have the resources to put security on the door and enforce.

“Wearing a face covering is just as important in a small shop as it is in a large one. It’s not that hard.”

James Lowman, ACS chief executive, added: “There’s a risk that discussion on adherence to and enforcement of distancing and face coverings in retail becomes entirely theoretical. Imagine being the victim of crime multiple times at work with no police response, and consider the role shop workers should play in that context.”

In addition, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said it was not the supermarkets’ job to enforce the rules. Andrew Opie, the BRC’s director of food and sustainability, told Reuters: said. “While enforcement of face coverings is the responsibility of the police, retailers continue to do what they can to encourage their use throughout stores.

“Sadly, this has led to a sharp rise in incidents of violence and abuse against shop workers, which is why it is essential police support the work being done by retailers.”