High street shops could ban couples and close changing rooms after lockdown
HIGH street shops could ban couples and close down changing rooms when the UK's coronavirus lockdown starts to lift.
Paying in cash may be frowned upon and customers could have to use a one-way system with separate entrances and exits.
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Social distancing guidelines have been published by the British Retail Consortium to help shops when they start to reopen.
It says although there isn’t a date for “non-essential” shops to open, they need to be ready with proper preparations in place.
Shoppers may need to buy without trying anything on, and will only be able to enter shops alone.
Toilets in stores could be put out of use, with regular hand santiser stations dotted around to keep everyone safe.
Non-essential shops have been closed since March 23 when Prime Minister Boris Johnson said they would have to shut in order to slow the spread of the virus.
Some businesses have remained open including supermarkets and DIY shops for people to buy essentials such as food, medicines, and tools for their homes.
In these shops a range of measures have been introduced to protect staff and customers.
These include a queuing system to limit numbers of people inside shops, perspex screens at tills, regular cleaning, and protective equipment including visors and face masks for staff.
In preparation for more shops to open again when government restrictions are relaxed, a list of guidelines has been created by the British Retail Consortium.
It comes as:
- Health secretary says it's still too early too lift lockdown
- Premier League games could be back on TV soon
- Travellers should get tests 48 hours before they fly, says Gatwick boss - and may be quarantined for two weeks after landing in the UK
- Hairdressers set to stay shut for another six months
It has worked in partnership with the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) to create the advice.
It warns that even though businesses are expected to open soon, it does not know when this will happen.
It comes as coronavirus deaths in the UK yesterday passed the government's best-case scenario of up to 20,000 victims after 711 more people died in England.
The grim milestone was given back in March as a benchmark for Britain "doing very well" in the pandemic.
The number means 18,084 people have now died in England from Covid-19 - and pushes the UK deaths to 20,217.
The detailed guidelines are split into three sections: social distancing in and around stores, managing the workplace and making sure staff are protected, and regular reviews and compliance checking.
Within each section the government advice is listed and then a list of guidance measures are shown. These are based on how social distancing has been working for the past month.
Here we’ve listed some of the main points of the new guidance.
For the outside of shops
- The numbers of customers within stores needs to be limited, ideally there will be separate exits and entrances, and customers should be able to remain two meters apart when inside.
- Staff should meet customers at the door and explain the rules, signs outside the shop should also give instructions, and markings should be placed outside the store for queuing.
- Non-contact stock deliveries should be considered and customers advised to shop on their own if this is possible.
For the inside of shops
- At the front of shops there needs to be cleaning stations with equipment including hand sanitiser and areas which are touched a lot such as door handles need to be cleaned regularly.
- Floor markings around the shop and till area will help customers to social distance, as well as clear signs, and regular announcements.
- Barriers at till points will protect staff and should be cleaned regularly, contactless payments are encouraged, and self-checkout areas need to be cleaned regularly.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers are closely following developments from government on when restrictions might be eased and are starting to plan accordingly.
“The safety and wellbeing of retail colleagues and customers remains the highest priority and these guidelines aim to support everyone in the industry.
“Since the lockdown, many retailers have proved how shops can be run safely and effectively in line with the Government’s social distancing advice.
“This guidance is the product of retail’s incredible efforts to adapt to exceptional circumstances. The industry knows how to serve the public while protecting staff and customers alike."
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Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “Non-food retail should only start trading again when expert public health advice agrees.
“However, we need to be ready and we need to make sure that the proper preparations and measures are put in place.”
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This week Sainsbury's announced four new changes to its stores.
B&Q has started opening some of its branches after closing due to the pandemic.
While the government has made a change to maternity pay to help furloughed parents.
