And about time, too!

I'm flabbergasted that people still want to go into supermarkets. Don't people realise how dangerous it is?

Tweedle24

I have just seen, on the BBC news, horrendous footage of supermarket staff being physically and verbally attacked for asking people to wear masks.

As has been said, there should be security staff on hand and they need to be properly trained to deal with aggression, as are night club bouncers. Our local shopping centre has a few security officers floating around but, I understand, they are not fully trained so can only do so much to help.

That is ridiculous! Shop assistants shouldn't be expected to deal with this sort of thing. I completely agree that there should be qualified security staff on the door - they are (or were!) there guarding the entrance to city centre 7/11 type supermarkets, so it's not unheard of.

I think that employers have a duty of care to their staff, and if it could be reasonably predicted that they might be in danger of attack it should be up to them to provide protection. It's not as though they aren't making a lot of money from the pandemic.

Hetty58

I'm flabbergasted that people still want to go into supermarkets. Don't people realise how dangerous it is?

Some people do not have a choice

I was in Sainsbury’s earlier this week. It’s a big out of town branch with a large clothing and homeware section so the potential is there to attract a fair number of customers especially now with all non essential shops closed.

Out of interest I asked the cashier if there had been many staff off sick with covid over the past few months and the answer was no, hardly anyone.

So Hetty58 I think that disproves your very over dramatic statement that supermarkets are dangerous places, don’t you?!

Anyone who is having trouble wearing a mask should try the medical type disposables - mine have a small gap at each side where more air can get through. My husband (COPD) can cope with these better than the really tight stretchy cloth masks. Plus they are waterproof on the inside, which is a bonus if you suffer from menopausal sweating like me at the moment However, when I had to go to Asda to do the Christmas shop (not a delivery slot in sight) I went through three masks on that trip as I was so stressed and sweaty.

Regarding supermarkets enforcing masks - this should be done at the entrance by the security staff. No way should a counter assistant have to challenge anyone about wearing a mask! Our local Co-op and Tesco Express both have security on the door almost all the time - unless its very quiet - to make sure too many people do not enter the shop at the same time, and I assume they will now police mask wearing as well. I went to our local Esso earlier to grab a carton of milk - two young women in there, only one with a mask.