Tesco hour for nhs workers not going as planned!

[astraea]

This is my local Tesco this morning (I did not take the photo). They opened for the first hour for nhs staff and vulnerable. This is what it resulted in!

I am a key worker too, I am struggling to get
Essentials to feed my family. I just can't believe what is happening!

Tesco need to take some responsibility and stop this happening. Only allow so many in at once- no one in pairs unless disabled or vulnerable- people outside lined up 2m apart- put markings where they have to stand. As one comes out, one goes in.

And yes, I agree click and collect would make a lot more sense
Staff time could be spent packing orders instead of filling shelves, person to person contact would be cut down within the stores and the same applies to collecting a box and going instead of hanging around for ages in a crowd

I've seen a couple of photos of this store from different angles on Fb so I have no doubt it's true

God, it's like something out of a movie - luring all the vulnerable people to one place to make them an easier target.

I was considering going to Sainsbury's disabled/carers' hour next week, but fuck that shit.

Our Sainsbury has no Click and Collect slots or Delivery slots available for the next 3 weeks- which is as far ahead as I can see.

Badge checks were happening round here but we're in a rural town with the biggest hospital for 30 miles in any direction. There are a lot of NHS workers here and I think the numbers that needed to use the service were underestimated.

Thanks for confirming real

Shocking isn't it

I went this morning, and they checked our badges before allowing us in. There must have been 200+ people though. It was pretty horrible and no way to maintain distance from others. I've been isolating for seven days due to a cough while working some very long days on incident response from home, and I'm 30 weeks pregnant so I used this as a opportunity to refill our fridge as it's my first time out. I got everything I needed, with some compromises, and it means I don't need to go out again for a while. I wouldn't use that hour again as it was too busy and now I'm out of isolation I can go anytime. I got scared seeing the news and social media and thought it would be completely empty shelves... which it nearly was by the end of the hour. People were falling over themselves for the free flowers which I didn't accept. I genuinely don't understand anymore why so many people are still buying so much that the supermarkets can't get on top of it!!!

Click and collect is how to do it and supermarkets need to cut down the number of brands they offer too so there is no time wasted choosing. You ask for baked beans and get what you are given. Same for everything. Pasta, loo roll, rice, potatoes, apples, kitchen cleaner. We just need to stop thinking life can be the same. It would save so much time and stop people doing what is happening in this Tesco.

But why go on a Sunday? Bloody ridiculous.

I popped into my large Waitrose in the counties. 30 deep queue. Abandoned.

I asked the assistant last week and he said they restock daily and come when it opens, so I will go during the week at 7.30am for bits and bobs - salad, fresh brocolli mostly.

As long as I have some frozen veg and fruit, meat, store cupboard essentials, paracetomol, a thermometer, and some vitamin C which I do, it will be fine. What else, unless you have children, do you need?

The idea that we will all be confined to our homes to starve is just not going to happen.

Alos, how many of those 'NHS workers' don't go near a patient? My DH was NHS, a help-desk manager. He worked in an office completely separate to any actual hospital. He would have got in with his badge.

@Hazelnutlatteplease and
@BentNeckLady
Absolutely!

Went to our local and it was horrendously busy. Queued for an hour for the tills. Was very aware of the fact it was impossible to social distance. I wish I’d gone tomorrow instead :(

Also - so many two parent families in there dragging their kids around! Come on people, one of you stay at home with them!! In fact loads of multiple person families there, I don’t think everybody needed an ID to get in, just one person. Not great.

Good lord. I couldn't cope with that if I was in that group, which thankfully I'm not. Absolute madness

I've developed a new queueing strategy, after a twat with only a basket kept getting too close to me in a queue at Morrison's. I stand with my trolley behind me. I'm now in control of distancing in front and behind.

Our one was so packed .
Went straight to Asda after which was much better but left the cat litter at the chemist bit.

Did get a lovely free bunch of flowers in Tesco though which was a nice touch!

That is terrible and like a coronavirus breeding ground. I would almost prefer to starve than that. We have lot of shops with lots of food in this bit of NW outer London.

@Meerschweinchen1990 YES so many families with more than one adult - they should have stayed at home with the kids or in the car. It made it really hard to move around!!

I’m glad I gave it a miss

Tesco have separate times for the NHS workers and vulnerable people, they're not mixed.

DS2 and has girlfriend went this morning, both their IDs were checked. He said it was absolutely mad and had never seen it so busy.

The emails I have had from the major supermarkets this week have asked shoppers to use the stores and leave home deliveries and click and collect for the vulnerable and those self-isolating, leaving most of us having no choice but to brave the queues.

It saddens me to say so, but I think it's time to bring in the military.

Same scenes here at my local Tesco extra. The car park was full, the store was so full that maintaining the required distance was impossible. Tesco need to rethink this. If we all shop with consideration, there will be no need for a special hour for anyone.

Frustrating for those who are being told that they are key workers (eg teaching staff) who just attend work as normal which means shops are empty by the time we can get there.

I have a family member who works in that store. Yikes! It's been pretty mad in there, anyhow, not helped by it being right in the city centre. For the size of its population, Hull has surprisingly few big supermarkets.