Asda worker told to ignore Covid-19

CONCERN OVER MESSAGE SENT BY NHS

A SUPERMARKET worker at one of Hull’s biggest superstores has been told to keep turning up to work, despite being urged to self-isolate by the NHS Covid-19 app, according to one worried colleague.

The staff member reportedly called a manager to inform them of the notification telling her to isolate, however, it is claimed that the alert is “not being taken seriously”.

The move has been described as “dangerous” and “very serious” by a colleague speaking to the Mail.

Despite being told to selfisolate, there is no suggestion that the worker has symptoms of the virus.

They claim that a large percentage of staff at the Kingwood Retail Park Asda store are older than 50 and therefore are at a heightened risk of suffering more serious symptoms of Covid-19 if they contract it.

“I work at Asda, Kingswood and one of my colleagues was contacted by track and trace and told to isolate.

“She rang the store manager who told her he needed her in and not to isolate. We are not happy about this,” the concerned supermarket worker said.

“This is very worrying and not being taken seriously. The majority of staff are over 50 so this is certainly dangerous.

“This is very serious to customers alike.

“I am also advised that the staff member in this case decided on the third night not to come in staff and after complaints from colleagues.”

However, Asda has clearly stated that keeping colleagues and customers safe has been its “key priority” during the pandemic and would always ask members of staff to isolate.

The staff member says a number of colleagues reportedly raised their concerns about the worker who was asked to self-isolate after attending the supermarket, which is one of the busiest in Hull.

Thousands of people use the Bude Road supermarket each day and reliance upon it could grow yet further in the coming weeks as the second coronavirus lockdown kicks in.

Many smaller shops, deemed non-essential, have been ordered to close, meaning the range of products on offer at Asda could see it attract new customers - including those wanting to continue Christmas shopping in spite of the pandemic.

During the lockdown set out in March, Asda committed paying staff who needed to isolate their wages in full in a bid to support their workers.

Just last weekend, pictures of empty shelves inside the Kingswood store surfaced online with shelves, which would usually be stocked high with meat, left empty and stocks of bread also significantly depleted.

Responding to the claims made by the Asda worker, a spokesman for the national retailer said: “We would never comment on individual colleague circumstances, but the safety of both our colleagues and customers has been our key priority throughout the pandemic.

“This is why we have extensive measures in place such as protective screens, social distancing signage and numerous hand sanitiser stations across all our stores.

“Our customers can rest assured that we continue to follow government guidance by asking any colleagues with coronavirus symptoms to immediately selfisolate and are supporting them by providing full pay during the isolation period.”