Shoppers in Scotland have warned against returning to supermarket queues

Tougher rules to stop the coronavirus in Scotland may lead to a reintroduction of waiting lists in the supermarket.

The Deputy Prime Minister and National Medical Director indicated that the measure adopted in early lockdown may be necessary again.

John Sweeney and Jason Leach said the meter base, one-way systems, trolley cleaning and queuing will be part of an attempt to “re-engage segmentation.”

Usdaw Trade Union urged customers to “play their part” and “be patient.”

Speaking on the BBC Morning with Stephen Jardin“The retail did a great job at the end of March. The mitigation measures were good but we were a bit concerned that some of us had dropped our guard,” said Mr. Leach.

“We want to spend the next 16 days making sure that sectors are re-engaging again and making sure that the guidelines are strong so that we can keep these areas open.”

“I’m not leaving”

He said his priority is to make these areas as safe as possible.

“This is why we’re asking them to go back to two meters physically and one-way systems.

“That would mean a little bit of queuing outside again, maybe Covid officers help with some of that. We need people to realize that the virus is the same and it’s not going away.”

In the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the latest restrictions designed to stop the spread of infection.

New rules have been introduced for the hospitality sector, With the most severe restrictions imposed on the 3.4 million people living in the Central Belt.

In central Scotland where the infection rate is higher, bars and restaurants will close for more than two weeks. As for the rest of the countryside, alcohol will not be allowed to be sold indoors and must be closed by 18:00.

The 16-day restriction period starts at 18:00 on Friday and the Scottish government has said companies will receive an additional £ 40m in government support.

Deputy Prime Minister Mr Swinney said Thursday that the Scottish government should take measures to stop opportunities for interaction where the virus could spread.

He said, “We do not want to return to the situation where we have the virus in force within our society as we were in March.”

Sweeney added that the prime minister’s statement should serve as a “reminder” of the retail sector.

He said, “We particularly expect to physically put two meters in place and I think it’s pretty clear that some of the experiences that we all have in supermarkets, for example, where there are some strict controls around the queue, about washing trolleys, disinfecting trolleys, making sure People are keeping physical distances inside stores – many of these requirements have been relaxed. ”

‘be patient’

One supermarket chain, Morrisons, told the BBC that its outlets were already complying with the Scottish government’s requirements for social distancing, but were providing other ways for people to receive their shopping without coming to the stores.

One way is to extend delivery service to more areas in Scotland, a spokesman said.

Aldi said the “comprehensive safety measures” it put in place in stores at the start of the pandemic are still largely in place.

The Usdaw Retail Services Association has urged the public to respect retail employees after it saw the first part of the epidemic multiplying cases of abuse towards store workers.

They said the abuse “is not part of the job.”

“With the increase in casualties, we understand why the Scottish government would like to revert to the original store safety guidelines, which we developed with the Scottish Retail Consortium, to provide employees and customers with a more secure shopping experience,” said Tracy Gilbert, deputy officer of the Scottish division of the union.

“Customers need to play their role and be patient, monitor social distancing and show respect to store workers. Retail employees are the main workers providing essential services and this role should be appreciated and respected.”