Asda announces new safety measures ahead of second lockdown - changes in full

The supermarket giant, which has its headquarters in Leeds, has announced a raft of new safety measures in its stores across the country.

The enhancements will be in addition to the perspex screens at checkouts, social distancing signage and deep cleaning regimes already in place in Asda stores.

The changes will be rolled out in the coming weeks.

These include:

Extending the hours of duty of its Covid Safety Marshals, with marshals being at the front of stores from 8am to 8pm to manage access, answer any safety queries and to remind customers of the need to wear a face covering and to maintain social distancing.

Positioning marshals in the busiest sections of larger stores to manage footfall and help customers to maintain social distancing.

Applying a protective antibacterial coating to all trolley and basket handles to prevent the spread of bacteria - the same coating is used in the NHS Nightingale Excel Hospital.

Adding 700 sanitising stations to the front of stores to add to the 3,500 stations already in place, with superstores hosting a minimum of 10 stations.

Installing automatic counting technology in more than 100 stores to manage capacity and help customers socially distance, with Asda trialling a queuing app currently in 50 stores where customers can wait in their cars before being notified to enter the store.

Opening all tils at the busiest times to reduce queues and speed up the checkout process.

Chief executive officer and president at Asda, Roger Burnley, said: “Providing a safe environment for our customers and colleagues to shop and work has been our priority throughout the pandemic and we are stepping up the measures we have in store to provide additional protection.

“We would ask customers to play their part by respecting social distancing and shopping responsibly when they visit our stores.”

Asda also reminded customers not to stockpile, adding that the supermarket has 'good product availability' and that there is no need to buy more than normal.

--------------

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today. Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you'll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app and receive exclusive members-only offers. Click here to subscribe.