COVID-19 UPDATE

FACE VISOR ADVICE UPDATED IN SCOTLAND

SCOTTISH FIRST MINISTER NICOLA STURGEON LAST WEEKANNOUNCED THAT FACE VISORS WORN ON THEIR OWN DO NOTPROVIDE “SUFFICIENT PROTECTION” SO IF VISORS ARE WORN,THEY MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY ANOTHER TYPE OF COVERING.

Nicola Sturgeon updated the Scottish Government’s advice on face visors on Friday, stating that “based on the latest scientific evidence” the government is “not convinced that a face visor on its own provides sufficient protection – to the wearer or to others“.

Consequently, the official advice from Saturday 8 August was that, if a visor is worn, it must be accompanied by another type of face covering.

The First Minister made the announcement after confirming that an additional 43 positive cases were confirmed in Scotland last Thursday, representing 0.9% of the people who were newly tested and taking the total number of cases in Scotland to 18,890.

She also confirmed that the number of positive cases confirmed as part of the new cluster of Covid-19 cases in Aberdeen had risen by 22 to 101. Among those were two players from Aberdeen Football Club.

Sturgeon said that the government now intended to make it mandatory from this Friday for a range of settings to collect customer details.

GOVERNMENT URGES SHOPPERS TO GO LOCAL

THE UK GOVERNMENT IS URGING CONSUMERS TO SHOP LOCALLY THIS WEEK AS PART ITS ‘ENJOY SUMMER SAFELY’ CAMPAIGN TO HELP RETAILERS REBUILD AFTER CORONAVIRUS.

The UK Government launched a multichannel six-day campaign on Monday urging UK shoppers to use local businesses to help local retailers and other businesses rebuild after the traumas of the Covid-19 pandemic. The ‘Shop Local Week’ drive runs until Sunday and is part of the government’s wider ’Enjoy Summer Safely’ campaign that is geared to encouraging consumers back to something much closer to a prepandemic normality, while adhering to safety guidelines.

The Enjoy Summer Safely campaign is active across TV, radio, online and outdoor advertising and is backed by several large brands including Vodafone, Boots, Carex, O2, Dove, McDonald’s and Mastercard.

The government believes that encouraging more people to spend locally is a key driver in boosting the economy, protecting jobs and preserving communities. Shopping locally also has the added bonus of offering a number of environmental benefits.

Business secretary Alok Sharma said: “Business owners have done an incredible job so far to welcome shoppers back safely, and I hope people across the country will do their bit this week to help our high streets bounce back to protect jobs and support local communities.“

CALLS FOR CONTACTLESS INCREASE

Around one in three shoppers in UK would be keen to see a further increase in the £45 contactless spending limit, with 40% of that group wanting the limit to be raised to £100.

The survey, carried out by YouGov among more than 2,000 people, found that 39% of respondents wanted retailers to remove minimum spend limits.

Home delivery and click and collect was also covered by the survey, with 42% of respondents calling for a greater range of delivery options with more time slots and 31% seeking more click & collect options. Some 30% would like more shop staff available to help process transactions.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has been a massive accelerator and has led to behavioural change among consumers that normally would take years,” says Andrew Quartermaine,” Vice President, Merchant Solutions at ACI Worldwide, who commissioned the survey. “As shopping habits have changed, so have the attitudes toward alternative payments.”

TWO THIRDS ‘NERVOUS ABOUT EATING OUT’

Two thirds of consumers (63%) remain nervous about the idea of eating out, despite restrictions easing, according to the latest shopper insight from IGD. The newest report from the ‘Shoppers of Our Time’ research, a series following 30 households through Covid-19 and beyond, explores the changing attitudes towards eating out and shopping post-lockdown.

Concerns surrounding the health and safety aspects of eating out are the biggest barrier for nervous diners, with 81% saying they’ll need to be confident about hygiene measures in restaurants before they consider this option.

Among those who are nervous about eating out, 71% say they will wait a few weeks before going to a restaurant.

ASDA TRIALS TROLLEY WASH

Asda has become the first UK supermarket to trial a permanent ‘trolley wash’. Trolleys are sanitised in 10-15 seconds and the process eliminates 99.99% of known bacteria, viruses and pollutants.

The unit, at Asda’s Morley store, uses an electrostatically charged mist to coat trolleys in fine particles containing an anti-microbial solution – leaving them clean and dry to the touch in seconds.

The unit is positioned to allow staff to pass nests of trolleys through and put them straight back into the bay, ready for use. The system was developed by UK company The WasteCare Group.

LENDING HITS £8BN

Loans totalling £5.9bn hasbeen lent to wholesale andretail businesses under theBounce Bank Loans Scheme,according to new data fromthe British Business Bank. Afurther £2.1bn in loans hasbeen made to wholesaleand retail businesses underthe Coronavirus BusinessInterruption Loan scheme.

MILLION MEALS

Salad and vegetable producerG’s has diverted more than450 tonnes of surplus vegto food charity FareShare,enough to create morethan one million meals forvulnerable people. Sincepartnering with FareShare fouryears ago, five G’s sites arenow regularly diverting surplusfresh food to communities whoneed it most.

NI COVERS UP

The Northern Ireland Executivejoined the rest of the UKin making face coveringsmandatory in-store fromMonday. The announcementwas made last week andwas supported by a publicinformation campaign entitled‘Wear One For Everyone’.