Shopping during coronavirus: five tips for

social distancing UK

 How to shop as safely as possible during the coronavirus outbreak

1. Stay 2 metres away from other customers and

staff

Keep clear of people on the way to and from the shops, and when inside them as
well, if possible. Be patient and take your turn to access goods in fridges and
freezers. Some supermarkets are helping to do this by limiting the number of
people who can be inside a shop at any given time. When purchasing your
shopping, try to keep your distance from shop workers as well. With self-service
checkouts and pin pads, you may have no choice but to come into contact with
surfaces that have been handled by many people. Avoid touching your eyes, nose
or mouth until you have washed your hands. Some stores are providing hand
sanitiser, and cleaning shopping trolleys and baskets between customers.

2. Shop alone, not in groups

Clearly there will be exceptions: for example, single parents with small children
who cannot be left at home, but where possible you should try to shop alone. That
will reduce the number of people inside stores, making physical distancing easier
to achieve. It also reduces the number of people in your household exposed to the
outdoors. Remember: studies show that, on average, people can have coronavirus
for five days before they develop any symptoms, and all that time they can be
unwittingly spreading it.

3. Only buy the essential things you need

It is natural that people worried about potentially being stuck indoors self-
isolating for 14 days want to stock up on supplies. However, panic-buying means
there can be shortages of food and medical products for people who rely on them.
And there are reports of increased food waste as people have stockpiled
perishable goods that they could not possibly have consumed in time. If
everybody buys only what they need, there will be enough for all.

4. Respect shopping hours for healthcare workers

and the vulnerable
Many shops including supermarkets are setting aside certain hours of the week
specifically for shopping to be carried out by key workers, the elderly, and those
with underlying health conditions that mean they are trying to shield themselves
from exposure to the virus. Clearly, it is difficult to enforce this, but be
considerate when you choose to visit the shops to avoid coming into contact with
these groups.

5. Use delivery services where possible

The fewer people on the streets and in shops, the less chance there is for people to
pass on coronavirus. If you can get delivery services, this will reduce the amount
of times you have to leave the house. This will help slow, and ease, the peak of
infections in the population that politicians and scientists worry will overwhelm
health services.