Why are all the toilets closed 'because of covid'?

[NoEffingWay]

In homebase today, and the sign on the toilets said 'closed because of covid-19'. It's the same in lidl, b&q, and lots of other shops.
I was in london the other week and resorted to asking a church to let me in (must have looked desperate as despite the signs saying not for public use, the verger let me in!).
It's no good opening cafes and selling me drinks, it has to come out somewhere.
When will these places start using sense and opening up again? Today, I didn't need a pee, fwiw, but if it had been another day, or my period had been more insistent what would I have done? I had to drive home from the shops a few months ago or I would have wet myself.

@BikeRunSki

I’m a Cub leader, we only have one cubicle open, and I have to clean it every time someone used it. It’s amazing how many times 8 year olds need a wee in 1.5 hrs. I imagine a lot of places have closed their toiled because they don’t have the resource to clean them between each user.

Wasn't there a bit of research recently that showed COVID isn't actually that transmissible via surfaces so this sort of thing is no longer necessary?

@Puntastic, I’d love that to be the case!!

I wish there was some guidance issued by the government that could put a stop to all this nonsense. It made sense a year ago before we knew what we were dealing with, but it’s not acceptable to use covid as an excuse for shit service.

@looptheloopinahulahoop

Nothing to do with covid and everything to do with having an excuse not to pay staff to clean them. It's a disgrace and a breach of the Equality Act and public sector equality duty as not having toilets available disproportionately affects women and the disabled,

Totally.

We have a radar key as ds is disabled. I'm currently suffering with severe uncontrolled bleeding and waiting for gynae apt so have used them when necessary.

I have been astounded at the number of disabled loos that have been locked. There isnt enough anyway considering many relying on them don't have the ability to wait.

I'll never ever shop in Matalan again after they didn't let me 3 year old go to the toilet. She hated pooing at the time and was hysterical. She was even more hysterical when she pooed herself before I could drive to the nearest supermarket. It was horrendous. I have never been so angry with a shop.

Toilets at a large park 20 mins away have been closed throughout. Haven't been there for a while as last time I had to pee behind a bush and a dog found me (at least it warned me that owners were close by so I could sort myself out in time 😬).

Becoz Covid innit.

@NoEffingWay

In homebase today, and the sign on the toilets said 'closed because of covid-19'. It's the same in lidl, b&q, and lots of other shops. I was in london the other week and resorted to asking a church to let me in (must have looked desperate as despite the signs saying not for public use, the verger let me in!). It's no good opening cafes and selling me drinks, it has to come out somewhere. When will these places start using sense and opening up again? Today, I didn't need a pee, fwiw, but if it had been another day, or my period had been more insistent what would I have done? I had to drive home from the shops a few months ago or I would have wet myself.

I would think because they haven't got spare staff to clea the toilets after each customer has used it

@HalzTangz I work in an NHS hospital, the toilets are not cleaned between people, staff or patients.

There is no legal requirement to clean toilets between users. We are all wearing masks indoors anyway, and touch contact provides minimal/almost zero infection.

My parents live in a very, very touristy Cotswold village which had it public toilets closed last summer. There were tourists pissing and shitting in people’s gardens.

I WISH I KNEW! I am pregnant as fuuuuuck and so beyond sick of places that are wide open to take your money in their cafes and gift shops and tills but can’t possibly open the toilets ‘because COVID’

Complained to Marks & Spencer after I had to waddle out of there the other week in years, terrified I was going to wet myself after following their stupid one way systems all round the store and back for a closed toilet and being refused access to them.

Similarly our local garden centre has theirs locked and refuses to let anyone use them ‘because COVID’.

Oh woops. I waddled out of marks In tears. Not in years typo!

Man here ;)

Popped into my local town centre on Saturday - went into public toilet. Two of the four cubicles taped off, two of five urinals taped off, one of three basins taped off, one of the two handryers taped off,

Because Covid.

Mental.

It's no good opening cafes and selling me drinks, it has to come out somewhere.

This! I have endo and scarring on my bladder so if I have to go, I have to go!

It really is ridiculous. As a previous poster said women who are pregnant or who have bladder issues, disabled people, men with prostate issues, prostate cancer or bladder issues. People with Crohns, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis etc, any number of people inc children need a toilet. I wrongly assumed when non-essential shops opened, that it would include the damn toilets. What a great idea, let's spread other disease in the middle of a Pandemic. They want to encourage people back to the shops, well how about giving them a toilet if they need one.

I work as a toilet attendant and it's because the risk assessment means the loos have to be cleaned a lot. So we close on the hour for 15 minutes and clean loo seats, taps, door handles, cubicle locks and doors, handrails, the dispensers for hand towels, toilet paper and soap.

Pretty much anything people are likely to touch is sanitised. Shops don't want to pay someone just to clean the loos all day so they close them.

@AlecTrevelyan006

Man here ;)

Popped into my local town centre on Saturday - went into public toilet. Two of the four cubicles taped off, two of five urinals taped off, one of three basins taped off, one of the two handryers taped off,

Because Covid.

Mental.

It's to help maintain social distancing. BY taping stuff off you discourage people from standing next to each other. All our cubicles are open though.

Now that childrens' extra curricular activities are back on I find myself not drinking after lunchtime because I am not allowed in the buildings anymore, let alone use their loo.

@RichardMarxisinnocent it isn’t a requirement to clean a toilet between every user under the Covid rules. I suspect in @BikeRunSkiits case it’s some clipboard holder/Jobsworth that’s made up this “rule”

All these posts about dentists closing their loos is making me nervous, I'm 37 weeks pregnant and I have an appointment later, there are no other public loos or shops with loos close by to my dentist so I may have to make a scene if they've locked them

My dad needs to visit to toilet regularly and the fact the toilets are all closed means he can't venture out for a walk.

Where I work we would love to open the loos, but the health and safety person says we would have to clean between each person and we just haven't the staff to do it.

@schroeder

Where I work we would love to open the loos, but the health and safety person says we would have to clean between each person and we just haven't the staff to do it.

That really isn’t the case they need to look again based on data about Covid in 2021 not the stuff from 2020 where people assumed it spread on surfaces

This really winds me up and is clearly discriminating against people with bowel or bladder issues. Not to mention pregnant women, people with young kids, women who may unexpectedly start their period etc. I think it's down to shops not wanting to pay for the extra cleaning but it's totally unacceptable and infuriating that they want you to come and spend your money but are too tight to provide a basic facility.

I know not all shops offer loos anyway but if they do, they should be open now. To me it says we don't really care about our customers we just want your money. Hopefully this will change as restrictions ease because as someone with an ongoing issue I have found going out during the pandemic really anxiety inducing for this reason.

It is an awful situation and the councils and shops need to get this sorted. I have always had a weak bladder and embarrassingly have had two accidents and a number of near misses when out and about.
I am developing a fear of going out very far from home which is difficult with both my DC now fully back to after school activities.