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Aldi shoppers slammed for disregarding strict social distancing rules

A number of Aldi shoppers in Sydney’s Inner West have been criticised for disregarding social distancing rules.

Australians have been told by the government to stand 1.5 metres away from each other in public to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Woolworths announced on Friday it had installed markers on floors in its supermarkets to ensure customers kept space between them.

But a large pack of customers at an Aldi in Sydney appear to be ignoring the warnings.

Customers are seen lining up next to each other in Aldi.
These shoppers at Aldi in Sydney have been criticised for not standing further apart. Source: Facebook

A mum posted a photo on Facebook on Sunday of the customers “crammed” into a store.

She claims there was “easily 100 people” inside.

“With no human immunity, imagine if one person in this picture was sick with COVID-19?” she wrote.

“Just in my family alone, that’s three teachers and one pathology lab scientist taken out of work for two-plus weeks.

“I won’t be exposing myself to this again unless absolutely necessary.”

A cross on the ground of a Woolworths supermarket is pictured.
Woolworths has introduced social distancing markers in its supermarkets. Source: 7News

Other people were also quick to criticise the shoppers packed into the supermarket.

“How about the supermarket staff? Scary place to be working on if anyone as COVID-19,” one woman wrote.

Another woman added she visited an Aldi in Liverpool, in Greater Western Sydney, which was the same.

“I just walked out,” she wrote.

Aldi told Yahoo News Australia it has several procedures in place to combat the spread of coronavirus.

On Tuesday, the supermarket announced it was introducing “customer flow measures”.

“To ensure the safety of you and our employees, we are implementing social distancing measures across selected stores,” Aldi said.

A sign warning customers about social distancing in a Woolworths in Sydney.
A sign warning customers about social distancing in a Woolworths in Sydney.

“We have limited the number of customers allowed in store at any one time so that when you enter you can have a safe and calm shop. Please consider letting those less able or requiring special assistance to the front.”

Not all Woolies stores have implemented the social distancing measures yet but they will be rolled out nationwide.

“These include using the size of your trolley as a distance guide between you and other shoppers, following markers on the floor at the checkouts and using tap-and-pay whenever you can,” Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said in a statement on Friday.

“We’d also ask that you wash or sanitise your hands before you come into a store.”

He added “as an extra precaution” the supermarket’s staff have “significantly” increased cleaning from five to 10 hours a day.

Coles hasn’t implemented social distancing measures as such but said it’s taken a number of steps to improve hygiene.

“We have reinforced the importance of hygiene practices in line with government recommendations including installing additional hand sanitisers for all team members and increasing the frequency of cleaning of bathrooms, kitchens and communal areas,” a spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia.

“In our stores we have also increased cleaning, including in high traffic areas such the checkouts.

“We offer sanitising stations outside our stores and trolley wipes for our customers’ convenience.”

The spokesperson added Coles is confident measures it’s taking are “adequately” addressing known risks.

“Ee will continue to review these and take advice from the Department of Health to ensure the safety of our customers and team members,” the spokesperson said.

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