A Sayers the Bakers worker claims she is concerned she could be put at risk as the chain vows to keep stores open in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
The worker, who asked not be named, said the Liverpool-based bakery will not be closing stores and she was on her way to work this morning, despite Boris Johnson’s national address last night ordering a nationwide lockdown.
On Monday night the Prime Minister made an extraordinary televised announcement , urging people to remain at home and for non-essential shops to close in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.
He said people could leave their homes to exercise once a day and go to the shops, for items like food and medicine.
Sayers the Bakers said it is remaining open, despite businesses like Greggs and McDonald’s closing, as it is offering take-away food and providing for key workers, like those working in the NHS.
But the worker told the ECHO: “Shops like Subway, Greggs, Costa are all closed as although they sell food, they are not an essential food outlet like a supermarket.
“Due to the size and nature of these establishments, employees and customers are at risk of contracting coronavirus."
The PM said restaurants, cafes and work canteens do not need to close entirely in accordance with his new, strict measures.
These businesses are allowed to remain open - but only for food delivery and takeaway services.
Following Mr Johnson’s announcement, there was widespread outrage at Mike Ashley’s chain store Sports Direct remaining open. The store claimed it was providing essential exercise gear for home workers.
On Tuesday morning, in a U-Turn, the store said it would close following backlash.
The Sayers the Bakers employee said she was also concerned about safety precautions in the bakeries as they remain open.
She added: “The company has not implemented any safety precautions or provided staff with masks or gloves, or any new policies regarding how many customers can be in the shop at one time or taking card-only payments.
“It's business as usual.”
A spokeswoman for the Liverpool bakery chain said it was constantly monitoring the situation.
The spokeswoman told the ECHO: “Latest government guidance is that takeaway food and food shops should remain open and operational and this is to provide food to key workers and the community that our shops operate in.
“There are a lot of customers relying on us to provide that service, so we're working hard to make that happen and we thank our loyal staff for working in our shops and our bakery.
“We are constantly monitoring the situation and will always follow government guidelines and we will be closing any shops that do not require to be open.”
