Welsh Government bans the sale of non-essential items

The ‘fire-break’ lockdown has left us unable to go to town, to bars and pubs, and to restaurants. Now, people in Wales will also be unable to browse certain aisles of supermarkets, as the Welsh Government has banned the sale of non-essential items within the shops that have remained open.

Jamie Cole, in Pontypool, saw that goods such as bedding, light bulbs, books, and DVDS were amongst those items that are being boarded off from being sold due to their status as ‘non-essential’.

But the thirty-one-year-old driver suggested that these are in fact essential goods as we approach a difficult winter, according the the speculation that the new year will also be affected by coronavirus

LadBible reports that he stated: “Bedding should be available for kids and mothers. We’re coming up to winter, it’s cold outside. I couldn’t believe it”. 

Some have argued that due to the fact that people are now relying on supermarkets to get not only food, but other shopping as well, the government should not ban the sales of these items. The Welsh Government website states that ‘non-essential retail’ is closed, but hasn’t listed which items sit within this category. Electrical goods and homeware have also been covered up.

A spokesperson for Tesco said: “Our colleagues across Wales will be working incredibly hard today so we can comply with the Welsh Government’s ban on selling ‘non-essential’ goods to our customers from 6pm this evening.”

A petition has been created in response to images being shared across social media of supermarkets in Wales closing off non-essential aisles and items. Almost thirty-thousand people have signed, demanding a call up on the restrictions that have been imposed.

Mark Drakeford, The First Minister of Wales, tweeted that he will “review how the weekend has gone with the supermarkets”, and added: “Supermarkets can sell anything that can be sold in any other type of shop that isn’t required to close. In the meantime, please only leave home if you need to.”

On BBC News, Drakeford has also stated: “the position we face in Wales is really and deeply serious and for these two weeks we are asking people to stay at home and not to mix with other people as much as they can.” 

“If the rules are not sensible rules, if there are anomalies that are emerging, we will put them right, but the basic underlying public health emergency has not gone away.”

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• Cardiff Uni students react to firebreak lockdown