Tesco, Asda and Waitrose are the latest supermarkets to take a tougher stance on customers who refuse to wear a face covering, joining Sainsbury’s and Morrisons who made the call yesterday.
Whilst asking shoppers to be “kind, patient and respectful” towards its staff, Tesco have confirmed, in line with Government guidance, shoppers who are not wearing a face covering will not be allowed into stores unless they are exempt.
A spokesman said: “We are also asking our customers to shop alone, unless they’re a carer or with children.
“To support our colleagues, we will have additional security in stores to help manage this.”
Echoing Tesco’s statement an Asda spokespersonn said: “If a customer has forgotten their face covering, we will continue to offer them one free of charge.
“But should a customer refuse to wear a covering without a valid medical reason and be in any way challenging to our colleagues about doing so, our security colleagues will refuse their entry.”
Andrew Murphy, executive director of operations at Waitrose said: “By insisting on the wearing of face coverings, over and above the social distancing measures we already have in place, we aim to make our shops even safer for customers.”
