Woolworths customer outraged by detail spotted during delivery
A frustrated customer has blasted Woolworths on social media after receiving a contactless grocery delivery from a driver wearing his mask incorrectly.
The woman wrote a post with the hashtag #woolies on Woolworths’s Facebook page and her personal profile over the weekend.
“How’d you catch Covid? I don’t know, I haven’t left the house,” the woman wrote sarcastically.
Accompanying the post is a 26 second CCTV video, showing a single delivery driver completing a night-time contactless delivery of her groceries.
The driver is wearing a mask that has been pulled down below his mouth.
“Living in a Covid hotspot at present and this Woolies driver is delivering our groceries with the helpful mask around his chin,” the customer wrote.
The woman’s profile indicates she is located in Melbourne, which has seen a concerning rise in Covid-19 cases over the last few days.
Ending the post, the woman claimed that she had been in touch with Woolworths about the incident.
“Woolies is only offering compensation of $30,” she wrote.
Yahoo News Australia also understands that Woolworths will be following up directly with the driver.
Woolworths has previously been called out over this issue, after a NSW delivery driver completed a delivery with no mask.
Woolworths delivery driver footage sparks debate
The woman’s Facebook post has prompted a heated discussion in the comments section as to whether the unmasked driver was in the wrong.
Some people have stated that the driver was not required to wear a mask in these circumstances.
“It was a contact free delivery, the driver does not have to have a mask on for that,” said one person.
“I thought when lifting and carrying, workers were exempt from wearing a mask, especially since your only contact is through CCTV,” commented another.
“Contactless delivery is the same as working alone in an office or outdoor farming, therefore no need to wear a mask if nobody is around,” wrote a third.
The woman hit back at these comments, writing he was: “delivering food and breathing all over it, just wow”.
On her personal profile page, the woman stated that by sharing the post, she was hoping to bring attention to a big issue.
“It does make it clear why the pandemic is out of control,” she wrote.
Confusion over mask mandates for those working alone
Some people are arguing that the woman is in the right for slamming Woolworths over the driver’s mask.
“Disgusting - you should get a full refund and replacement,” said one person.
“Woolworths have Covid safe plans for all their staff and contractors and he didn’t comply,” wrote another
Another person stated that New South Wales's Covid-19 outbreak could have been caused by a similar issue.
“One of the reasons Sydney has it so bad is that essential workers are not following Covid-safe practices and not wearing masks properly."
Victoria’s Coronavirus website outlines that masks are required, with some exceptions.
“Face masks must be worn indoors and outdoors by anyone aged 12 years and over, whenever you leave your home - unless a lawful exemption applies,” the website states.
“Face masks do not need to be worn indoors or outdoors if you are working alone.”
Woolworths confirms delivery drivers are expected to wear masks
A spokesperson from Woolworths has told Yahoo News that they are working closely with their delivery partners on shared Covid-safe plans throughout the pandemic.
"All delivery drivers operating in Melbourne must correctly wear face masks when fulfilling orders to customers both at the store and the drop off location," the spokesperson said.
"Our delivery partners have also promoted appropriate social distancing and hygiene protocols to all drivers."
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