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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Lydia Stephens

Some supermarkets change their opening hours due to coronavirus

Supermarkets across Wales are changing their opening hours to cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

One Tesco will no longer be open for 24-hours so staff can replenish the shelves and some Iceland stores are having parts of the day where only people over the age of 65 can shop.

It comes as chains have imposed restrictions on some products due to people stockpiling.

The Tesco Extra store in Talbot Green will close between the hours of midnight and 6am so staff can replenish shelves. This is currently the only Tesco store in Wales taking these measures.

Pain killers are also hard to come by (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

Some Iceland supermarkets, including the Tonypandy, Treorchy, Aberdare and Llanelli stores, have implemented a policy which means only elderly people over the age of 65 are permitted to shop in the store between 9 and 11am.

The move follows that by an Iceland store in Belfast, which announced it was opening every Tuesday from 8-9am for elderly customers only.

In a statement Iceland said: "Iceland Foods will be opening their store between 8-9am for the elderly commencing Tuesday 17th March.

"Could the wider public please respect this hour, and understand that this time is allocated for elderly people only," reported The Mirror.

Shoppers have started stockpiling items such as loo roll, hand gel, anti-bacterial spray, pasta, tinned goods, paracetamol and vitamins.

Many stores have put restrictions on the amount of items per-customer can purchase.

Tesco in Cardiff with no toilet roll (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

Aldi issued a statement on Monday morning to reassure customers that all its suppliers and warehouse staff were working round the clock to ensure their stores were fully stocked.

They said: "We have increased orders from our suppliers and our warehouses have sufficient stock to replenish all stores. This includes all of the essentials such as sanitary and baby products."

Other stores have been pleading with customers to "shop normally", insisting that there was no need to stockpile as there will be plenty of everything to go around.

Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys all confirmed they have no plans to change opening times at the moment.

No other Tesco stores in Wales are restricting their opening times at the moment but their website will be updated as and when they do.

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