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Thousands of people have signed a petition calling on the Welsh government to revoke the ban on supermarkets selling non-essential items during the new closure in Wales.
Prime Minister Mark Drakeford said the restriction was “a matter of fairness” as nonessential retail must close for the two-week period, which began at 6pm on Friday and will last until November 9. .
The guide published by the Welsh government says that certain sections of supermarkets must be “cordoned off or emptied and closed to the public”.
These include sales areas for electrical goods, telephones, clothing, toys and games, garden products, and sections dedicated to household items.
Supplies for “essential home maintenance, maintenance and operation” such as batteries, light bulbs and rubber gloves, can be sold during closing.
Images posted on social media show aisles selling products such as children’s clothing, greeting cards and books locked, with plastic sheeting placed over items to prevent shoppers from accessing them.
A petition asking the Welsh government to allow supermarkets to sell non-essential items had received more than 17,000 signatures as of this afternoon.
“We do not agree that this is a prudent or rational measure and that it does more harm than good,” the petition says.
“We do not agree, for example, that parents should be prohibited from buying clothes for their children during the lockdown while they are shopping.
“This is disproportionate and cruel and we ask that the decision be reversed immediately.”
Yesterday, Drakeford said that preventing supermarkets from selling non-essential items was “a simple matter of justice” as hundreds of stores had been forced to close.
He told a news conference in Cardiff that it was also not “the time to be browsing supermarkets for nonessential products.”
During the two-week shutdown, all leisure and non-essential retailers are closed, including clothing stores, furniture stores, and car dealerships.
The ban was announced in the Welsh parliament on Thursday after a question to Mr Drakeford from the conservative MS Russell George.
George said it was “unfair” to force independent clothing and hardware retailers to shut down while similar products were being sold in major supermarkets.
Andrew RT Davies, the Welsh conservative shadow health minister, today called for the ban “to be lifted immediately”.
“I have never witnessed such a backlash against a decision by the Welsh Labor government,” Davies said.
“This absurd ban has caused real anger across Wales and is not fair to the staff working in our supermarkets, and the wider Welsh public who are already on the brink of wits with a difficult fortnight ahead.”
Under lockdown rules, people can only leave their home for limited reasons, such as buying food and medicine, providing care, or exercising, and they should work from home whenever possible.
Leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses are closed, along with community centers, libraries, and recycling centers, while places of worship are closed except for funerals or wedding ceremonies.
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