Covid shopping no-go zone
Fury as stores cover up aisles of ‘non-essentials’ such as bedding
PLASTIC sheeting and barriers were used to cover aisles of ‘non-essential items’ yesterday after supermarkets in Wales were banned from selling them during its 17-day lockdown.
Furious customers shared pictures of aisles of items such as bedding, towels, cards, stationery and candles which were covered up at a branch of Tesco.
Meanwhile a Lidl store in Porthmadog, north Wales, blocked off its ‘ non-essential’ products but continued to display Christmas chocolate santas, according to one customer.
First Minister Mark Drakeford told stores they were unable to sell items such as clothes from 6pm last night. The Labour-run administration announced it would impose the lockdown last week despite Wales’s infection rate being half that of England.
Jamie Skyrme, who shared a picture from Tesco in Pontypool, near Newport, said: ‘This is nothing to do with a “virus”. This is all about controlling you.’
Another customer said items hidden behind plastic sheeting yesterday morning included kettles, phone chargers and bedding.
Tesco said it was a ‘trial’ before the lockdown began. Black and yellow tape was used to block off aisles in Pontypool while a Tesco store in Swansea erected yellow plastic barriers to stop sales of clothing.
Many retailers will be forced to shut during the ‘firebreak’ which began at 6pm last night but food stores, off-licences and pharmacies can stay open.
Just hours before it came into effect the Welsh government was unable to provide clarity on what is defined as ‘essential’ or how it would be enforced.
The move has sparked anger among opposition figures, with Welsh Conservative Andrew RT Davies tweeting: ‘The power is going to their heads.’
Darren Millar, shadow minister for Covid recovery, said: ‘Supermarkets, convenience stores and other shops have no idea which goods the Welsh Labour- led government regards as non- essential so that they can restrict them from sale.’
The Association of Convenience Stores and the Welsh Retail Consortium have written urgently to the first minister, expressing alarm over the regulations.
Sara Jones, head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said it wanted the Welsh government to abandon the ‘essential items’ rules.
‘Compelling retailers to stop selling certain items, without them being told clearly what is and what isn’t permitted to be sold, is ill-conceived and short-sighted,’ she said.
Mr Drakeford defended the rules and said: ‘We are requiring many hundreds of small businesses to close on the high street... We cannot do that and then allow supermarkets to sell goods that those people are unable to sell.’
Tesco and Lidl said their stores were complying with guidance from the Welsh government.