Coronavirus: Co-op offers home grocery deliveries

Coronavirus: Co-op offers home grocery deliveries

Following confirmation of the first case of COVID-19 in Jersey on Tuesday, the Channel Islands Co-operative Society said customers who end up housebound and have no alternative to receive food packages could request free deliveries.

The move comes as the number of cases of the virus in the UK yesterday leapt by the biggest daily increase so far and the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a pandemic.

The Island continues to prepare for further potential cases, including by increasing stocks of medical supplies.

Mark Cox, acting chief executive of the Channel Islands Co-operative Society, said teams were in place to help keep people supplied with food where necessary and volunteers would be drafted in if demand required it.

He said: ‘Our concern is for people who are the most vulnerable, so we have made up plans for home deliveries. We have got teams set up to get food out.

‘We are doing deliveries now. We have got customers contacting us through the normal channels – we have got deliveries going out.

‘We have insisted that Environmental Health help out as well.’

Mr Cox added that if demand surged, there was a possibility of drafting in volunteers or asking local businesses to help with deliveries.

The Co-op has previously said that restrictions on certain household items – including toilet rolls, cleaning products and soap – were being imposed due to concerns over stockpiling. Shoppers will only be allowed to buy three such items at any one time, in a bid to prevent stores from running out. Signs are to be put up and checkout operators will be keeping check on how much individuals are buying.

However, he said the current stock was at ‘manageable’ levels, adding: ‘The message from me is that if people are struggling, they can contact the office. We do have a team who are supporting the community.’

And Mr Cox added that Co-op staff needing to self-isolate would still receive their normal pay.

‘We will pay them sick pay if they need to self-isolate,’ he said. ‘We are following government guidelines. If they need to self-isolate they will receive their normal pay.’

He said staff at the Co-op Travelmaker were still busy helping customers whose travel plans may have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak and there were no plans to reduce staffing levels currently because of a downturn in bookings.

For more information about the Co-op’s home delivery service call customer services on 879822.

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