Supermarket rules updated as lockdown eases in England

19 March 2021, 10:14 | Updated: 19 March 2021, 10:18

By Heart

@thisisheart

Supermarket priority delivery slots for those shielding will officially end on June 21.

There will be updated supermarket rules over the coming months, as priority delivery slots for those shielding will end on June 21.

Almost four million vulnerable people were told to stay at home back in January, with this recently being extended to the end of March.

But as lockdown restrictions continue to ease in England under Boris Johnson's roadmap, shops will be changing their delivery rules.

Local authorities have said they will work with supermarkets to ‘continue to provide support’ until March 31, and those who have already registered for priority access to delivery slots will be able to access these until June 21.

The government website states: "Councils will look to provide assistance wherever possible after that date and, if you have already registered for priority access to supermarket delivery slots, supermarkets will continue to offer priority access until June 21."

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Ever since the first lockdown back in March 2020, most supermarkets have been offering priority slots for those shielding.

Tesco previously said: "We were given an initial list of 110,000 clinically and socially isolated people by the Government.

“From these, we were able to match 75,000 existing customers and we’ve already contacted them to let them know we’re making home delivery slots immediately available to them.

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“As we receive more data from Government, we’ll make even more slots available."

Sainsbury’s echoed: "For vulnerable customers who have been offered a slot and are unable to place their order online, we are offering a telephone ordering service and we now have five times the number of colleagues on hand to help with this.”

While Asda previously confirmed: "People who’ve been identified on the government’s vulnerable person list will have received either an email or a letter and all the information they need is in there."

This comes after the Government confirmed all ‘clinically extremely vulnerable people’ in England will no longer have to follow the strictest Covid rules in April.

Guidance will be sent to those affected over the next few weeks, with health officials saying they will ‘set out practical steps’ to help the vulnerable reduce their risk of catching coronavirus.

Steps to minimise risk include maintaining strict social distancing and keeping social contact at low levels.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jenny Harries said: “Shielding has always been an advisory measure to safeguard those who are the most clinically vulnerable in our communities.

"We recognise how difficult this period has been for so many and the impact it has had on people’s wellbeing.

“With the prevalence of the virus in the community continuing to decrease now is the right time for people to start thinking about easing up on these more rigid guidelines.”

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