Latest lockdown measures and restrictions as Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose, Morrisons and Co-op during Covid-19 outbreak

CORONAVIRUS is continuing to spread across the country bringing disruption with it.
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The UK is in full ‘lockdown’ with only essential shops to remain open. This includes supermarkets and pharmacies.

Residents are also allowed to go outside to exercise once a day – being reminded to stay at least 2m away from other people.

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Gatherings have been banned and people have been warned against non-essential travel, under the announcement made by the Prime Minister in a national address.

A member of staff scans groceries inside a Morrisons supermarket. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)A member of staff scans groceries inside a Morrisons supermarket. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
A member of staff scans groceries inside a Morrisons supermarket. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

The lockdown will be in place until at least the start of May.

Supermarkets have seen panic buying as shoppers rush to stock up on goods such as toilet roll and tinned food.

This has led some shops to put in limits on the number of products people can purchase and also changed opening times.

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Although some shops have started to lift restrictions, some still remain.

A delivery driver carries baskets of food as he delivers an online shopping order to a resident, from the supermarket Morrisons. Picture: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty ImagesA delivery driver carries baskets of food as he delivers an online shopping order to a resident, from the supermarket Morrisons. Picture: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
A delivery driver carries baskets of food as he delivers an online shopping order to a resident, from the supermarket Morrisons. Picture: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images

A new app called ‎Supermarket Check In has been launched to track their local supermarket information and stock levels – it is available from the App Store.

Online deliveries are set to reach three million per week, across all the major supermarkets.

Here is what you need to know:

Asda

Shopper carrying toilet roll. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesShopper carrying toilet roll. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Shopper carrying toilet roll. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The Asda in Fratton is now open 8am to 10pm Monday through Saturday.

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Asda is also offering priority access to NHS staff, care home workers and carers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8am to 9am, while Asda stores will be opening an hour earlier for these key workers to browse on Sundays.

The store has removed many of its limits on how many of one product you can buy, but the company said restrictions might be put in place on products in high demand.

A new volunteer card has been launched to help those in self-isolation – find out more here.

Sign outside Asda in Fratton notifying shoppers of reduced hours.Sign outside Asda in Fratton notifying shoppers of reduced hours.
Sign outside Asda in Fratton notifying shoppers of reduced hours.

Since the lockdown was announced, the Asda in Fratton is limiting the number of shoppers allowed in the store at a time to maintain social distancing – while those outside the store have to queue two metres apart.

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Asda is also urging shoppers not to touch products, unless they intend to buy them.

A message on its website reads: ‘These changes adhere to the advice from the Government and have been put in place to keep you and our colleagues safe.

‘We’re asking customers to only touch items they intend to purchase and to use cashless payment wherever they can to minimise contact.’

The company has also put floor markings spaced 2m apart across checkouts, self-scan, kiosks, pharmacy, optical and service desks to help customers observe social distancing.

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The supermarket giant has also announced that as well as giving full pay to employees who have been identified as needing to self-isolate for 12 weeks, it is offering fully paid leave to anyone who is vulnerable, such as over 70-year-olds or those who are pregnant, as well as the carers of vulnerable people.

Empty shelves in a supermarket. Picture: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty ImagesEmpty shelves in a supermarket. Picture: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Empty shelves in a supermarket. Picture: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images

Asda has also installed perspex screens at checkouts and kiosks to protect its staff. It has also temporarily shut its cafes and deli counters.

Asda is providing vulnerable workers with 12 weeks' pay to allow them to self-isolate and protect their health and that of their family.

Asda has promised an extra week's pay in June.

Asda has made face masks available for staff.

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The supermarket has also upped the contactless payment limit to £45.

The 24 hour stores will now shut overnight between 10pm and 6am to allow for restocking.

The superstore in Crasswell Street and the Tesco Extra in the Pompey Centre, Fratton, will be open from 7am to 10pm.

Tesco Express stores are open from 6am to 10pm.

Shoppers may be limited on how many of one item they can buy.

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On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the supermarket will be prioritising one hour for elderly and vulnerable shoppers – this will be between 9am and 10am.

On Sundays it will open an hour earlier for NHS workers to have a ‘browsing’ hour before the checkouts open, while it will also have dedicated shopping hour of 9am to 10am on Tuesday and Thursday for NHS workers.

Tesco has also expanded its home delivery and click & collect services after a surge in demand in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Only one member of a household is allowed in Tesco stores at a time as part of the coronavirus measures.

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Tesco has also introduced a one way system around its stores, with markers on the floor to allow shoppers to stay two metres away from each other.

It has also promised staff a 10 per cent bonus on all hours they work.

The supermarket has also promised to donate a £30m package of support to its charity partners, including a £25m food donation programme to the Trussell Trust and Fare Share UK over the next 12 weeks, and an extra £2m to the British Red Cross to help those in need.

Tesco has also donated enough food to help provide 1 million meals to frontline NHS workers

Tesco has made face masks available for staff.

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It has also doubled its slots for online delivery to meet the demand.

Sainsbury’s

This supermarket is also running hours specifically for the elderly and vulnerable – with the 8am to 9am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays dedicated to these shoppers.

The Sainsbury’s store in Commercial Road will be open from 8am to 7pm on weekdays, 7.30am to 7pm on Saturdays and 11am to 5pm on Sundays.

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NHS and social care workers will be able to shop in Sainsbury’s from 7.30am to 8am Mondays to Saturdays – just bring along your NHS ID for priority access.

The supermarket has announced new safety measures, including limiting the number of people allowed in stores and at ATMs.

Sainsbury’s has promised staff a 10 per cent bonus on all hours they work.

Sainsbury’s has also launched a volunteer shopping card.

It allows friends and family to shop for elderly or vulnerable people who can’t make the trip to the supermarket.

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Sainsbury’s is adding additional protective screens in over 150 stores across the country.

The supermarket is also extending opening hours at many convenience stores to 10pm or 11pm.

The Morrisons in Victory Retail Park will be open from 8am to 8pm Monday through Saturday then 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

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There will be priority shopping for NHS workers between 7am and 8am Monday to Saturday.

The company’s chief executive David Potts said the firm was donating £10 million worth of produce to help restock the nation's food banks.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Mr Potts said: ‘For many people who use the food banks that's their only store - so it is a very important part of society and we will play our part so that nobody is left behind.’

He added that food donation areas would also be set up in store and will be ‘very visible’.

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Morrisons has upped the limit on restricted products to four items per person from three, and removing them from some products all together.

This service aims to support those who may be struggling to get the essential groceries they need, due to huge demands on the health service amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The supermarket has also announced that shop floor workers will get a £1,050 bonus.

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Morrisons will offer a 30-minute delivery service from 130 stores for basic essentials, teaming up with takeaway delivery app Deliveroo.

The link-up, which launched on Tuesday, is aimed at ensuring anyone who is in self-isolation or cannot reach a store is able to get their food, the companies said.

Around 70 products will be available, including chopped tomatoes, bread and chicken, along with ready-meals including chicken tikka masala.

Morrisons will produce and deliver more than 100,000 food boxes a week aimed at vulnerable and self-isolating people, the supermarket has announced.

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Check out the opening times for your local store in the store locator here.

If you are shopping online Waitrose has put restrictions on certain antibacterial soaps and wipes.

The store in Marmion Road, Southsea, will be open from 8am to 8pm on Monday through Thursday and on Saturdays.

On Friday it will be open from 8am to 9pm and Sunday it is open from 10am to 4pm.

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Waitrose is dedicating the first hour of opening as a priority shopping time for the elderly, the vulnerable and those who look after them.

Daily essentials will be set aside for NHS staff and they will get priority treatment at checkout.

Waitrose will also have dedicated marshals to monitor the two metre rule in busiest shops and number of customers allowed in will be limited so social distancing can be observed.

Shops have also introduced special protective visors at checkouts and there are other extra cleanliness measures in place.

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All frontline workers at the department store and Waitrose supermarkets will get an extra £25 for each week they work in April and May.

The discount at Waitrose for all employees across its stores as well as John Lewis has also been increased from 15 per cent to 25 per cent and will remain at 20 per cent after Covid-19 has peaked, the company say.

These new rewards follow a 2 per cent bonus that was handed to all staff last month.

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Co-op

Co-op shops in the city will be open from 7am to 11pm or 7am to 10pm everyday.

There is priority shopping for vulnerable customer and those who care for them 8am to 9am on Mondays through Saturdays and 10am to 11am on Sunday.

The Co-op has announced new measures to enforce social distancing in its stores in a bid to protect customers and staff from the spread of coronavirus.

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The retail giant has introduced a range of measures across its 2,600 stores, including floor markers which will define a one-metre distance throughout the store and two-metre spacing for customer queues.

The Co-op is also aiming to limit the number of customers in stores at any one time as well as reducing the number of tills open, to allow greater distance between shoppers.

Lidl

Lidl stores across Portsmouth will be open from 8am to 10pm Mondays through Saturdays.

They will also be open from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

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Lidl are encouraging customers to use contactless or card payments when possible, buy only what they need and to wash their hands regularly.

The contactless payment limit has been increased to £45.

The supermarket had introduced product limits early in the lockdown however these have now been lifted and it has reverted to its previous policy of allowing customers to purchase ‘usual household’ quantities.

Aldi stores across the city now shut two hours earlier on weekdays.

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They will be open from 8am to 8pm instead of 10pm. However Sunday hours will remain the same.

Nurses, police officers and firefighters will take priority in its queues with a valid ID.

Aldi has said it is relaxing shopping restrictions for a raft of products across its UK stores.

The discount supermarket introduced a blanket limit of four of every product after reports of panic-buying from customers in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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It said it will also continue limit customers to only two of its most popular items, which include antibacterial hand gel, UHT milk and baby formula.

Aldi will also be giving staff a 10 per cent bonus on all hours they work.

Aldi has launched an online food delivery service for the first time to help vulnerable customers – find out more here.

The supermarket has also launched a traffic light system to show when its stores are busiest – and when it is best to go shopping.

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Late morning is the busiest, with shops being quite busy between 8am and 10am, quieter from midday to mid-afternoon, then it is quietest between 7pm and 10pm.

Aldi is also urging customers not to touch any products they do not intend to buy.

A spokesperson for the supermarket chain said: ‘Sanitisation stations are in place at the front of stores so it is easy for customers to disinfect their hands, trolleys and baskets before doing their shop.

‘Our store colleagues may ask that customers only touch trolleys they intend to use.’

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Aldi is selling food parcels online – find out more here – however because of demand they may not be available all day.

Aldi has made face masks available for staff.

Customers are limited to buying 12 units of wine and spirits per online order.

The chain is also launching a voucher scheme to help volunteers that are aiding the vulnerable with their food shops.

The vouchers can be purchased online, and delivered free of charge.

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