Can you go shopping with your family during lockdown? Here's what you need to know

Supermarket giants across the UK have taken measures to reduce crowding in their shops - but it has led to confusion over whether couples and families from the same household can still shop together.

In a bid to help stop the spread of coronavirus, Waitrose – which has 338 sites across the UK – has requested that couples and families refrain from shopping together.

A spokesperson for Waitrose said: “In line with the government’s guidance on social distancing we’re asking customers to help us manage the number of people in our shops – by sending only one member of the household to do their shopping, if they possibly can.

“While this won’t be possible for everybody, we are very grateful for our customers’ support in this difficult situation.”

Many families are confused about the rules regarding shopping during the coronavirus outbreak

A number of other supermarkets have introduced strict measures for customers during the coronavirus outbreak.

So can couples and families shop together in Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Scotmid and Aldi?

Here are the current measures in place at the UK supermarket giants:

Aldi

The German family-owned discount supermarket chains currently has no restrictions to limit people shopping with family members.

However, Aldi customers are being advised that, if possible, one person should do the household shopping alone in order to keep down numbers in stores.

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's ask that only one person from each household go shopping.

A spokesperson said: "There isn’t a formal restriction in place, but we are asking customers to only send one adult per household where they can. This is helping us to serve more households in less time."

Morrisons

Morrisons is currently operating a one-trolley-per-customer policy, while the chain's larger stores currently has a strict one-in-one-out policy, and have markers on the floor to maintain social distancing.

Tesco

Tesco, which has over 3400 stores nationwide, is also allowing 50 customers at any one time in its larger branches.

Signs posted outside the supermarket chain's larger stores read: “For safety of our customers and colleagues we will only be letting 50 customers in the shops at any one time. This will be manned and a one in one out process in place."

Scotmid

The supermarket has no official restrictions on couples and families - but is limiting the number of shoppers in stores during busier times.

A spokesperson said: "We have introduced floor markers and we’ve closed some till points to help encourage safe distances and we’re limiting the number of customers in stores at busy times."

Asda

Asda is asking people to bring fewer family members when shopping to keep down the number of people in its stores, and some Asda branches have enlisted security guards to enforce its policy.

A spokesperson said: "Where needed, we are limiting the total number of shoppers we allow into a store at any one time.

"If possible, it would help us greatly if you could bring fewer family members when visiting our stores. This will help us maintain social distancing guidelines we already have in place."

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