Coronavirus: Northampton supermarket restrictions, opening times, priority hours for NHS and vulnerable customers

Coronavirus is continuing to spread across the country, bringing disruption with it, and Northampton is no different.

The UK has gone into full ‘lockdown’ with only essential shop 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.

Groups of more than two people are no longer allowed, under the announcement made by the prime minister in a national address on Monday.

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.

Follow all the updates on coronavirus in our live blog hereHere is what you need to know:

Aldi

Aldi is putting a restrictions of four items of any one product for shoppers in its five stores in Northampton.

Stores across the town now shut two hours earlier on weekdays.

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.

Asda

Asda will be shutting its stores in Northampton earlier than usual on weekdays - at 8pm instead of 11pm.

The supermarket is also offering priority access to NHS staff on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8am to 9am.

Shoppers are also only allowed to purchase up to three of any product across all food items, toiletries and cleaning products.

Since the lockdown was announced on Monday, Asda 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.

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.

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.

Asda has also said that in the coming days it will install perspex screens at checkouts and kiosks to protect its staff. It has also temporarily shut its cafes and deli counters.

The supermarket is also limiting customers to three items of food, toiletries and cleaning items.

Co-op

Most Co-op shops in the town will be open from 7am to 8pm but stores with a petrol station will have a closing time of 11pm to allow for access to fuel.

This will give staff time to re-stock and clean, so that we can continue to provide a good service at this time.

There is priority shopping for vulnerable customer sand 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.

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.

Customers will also be limited to two selected items each.

Lidl

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

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

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

Morrisons

Morrisons stores will be open from 8am to 8pm Monday through Saturday then 10am to 4pm on Sundays as usual.

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

Morrisons is limiting purchases customers can make on more than 1,000 products in store and online.

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’.

Sainsbury’s

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

Stores will be open from 8am to 7pm on weekdays, 7.30am to 7pm on Saturdays and 11am to 5pm on Sundays.

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.

Limits are being placed on groceries and other in-demand items such as toilet rolls and cleaning products.

Tesco

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

Tesco Extras will be open from 7am to 10pm and Tesco Express stores are open from 6am to 10pm.

Tesco has also announced that shoppers will be limited to only three items on every product line – while multi-buy promotions have been removed.

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

And on Tuesdays and Thursdays, NHS workers will be prioritised from 9-10am.

Waitrose

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

Stores will be open from 8am to 8pm on Monday through Thursday and on Saturdays.

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

Waitrose will be 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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