The Twenty-nineth Day: 20 April 2020 (124,743 confirmed infected, 16,509 died, in total)

"We’re thrilled that the team at NHS Nightingale London have successfully treated and discharged their first coronavirus patients!" – NHS England

Good news is coming on the heels of another: patients recovered and discharged from hospitals; daily figures kept flattening; PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) arrived in batches… It seems the situation is coming back under control.

Today I want to record the top seven changes in daily-life shopping during the lock-down in London. This is where everyone has been affected almost without exception, so it worth a page in this diary.

Top 7: Frequency lowered. We might make purchases at supermarkets and street shops for multiple times every day before the lock-down: grabbing something for breakfast in the morning, buying a drink or cigarette during the day, or taking necessities on the way home in the evening… Now we only visit supermarkets no more than once a week to restock essential items.

Top 6: Opening hours changed. Shops and supermarkets close late in normal days, some even open 24-hours. But now they shut their entrances earlier, for customers reduced, and commodities reduced, too. Their close time may even be volatile, depending on the stock and customer flow. Also, exclusive and prioritised time (usually in the early morning) is given to NHS and other “key workers” and elders in most chain supermarkets.

Top 5: Contactless payments encouraged. Cash is now less favoured for they can act as a bridge for viruses. Swiping cards or scanning cell phones can avoid physical contact and minimise the time shopkeepers facing their customers.

Top 4: Social distancing everywhere. Numerous lines are marked on the floor of shops, reminding the “2 metres” safe distance. Some mega-supermarkets introduced “one-way system”, marking arrows to guide their customers to follow a certain path to avoid lingering and grouping. Self-checkout stands open in an interlaced way to enlarge the distance between customers.

Top 3: Flow control applied. People rarely queue for entering a shop in peaceful times. Nowadays the “one in, one out” policy is applied at most shops and supermarkets. So, waiting outside (and keeping save distance from each other) to be called into the shop is common everywhere. Only one member from the same family may be allowed to enter at some shops, to minimise the number of people inside and give others more opportunities to get in.

Top 2: Items limited. There are quotas set for shoppers on certain “essential” goods, types and quantities varying from shop to shop. This is to avoid panic stockpiling and ensure more customers can get their necessities. The most seen limited goods are toilet rolls, wipes and sprays, antibacterial products, dry pasta and eggs. Fresh meat, fish and vegetable are rarely limited, maybe for they have shorter shelf-time.

Top 1: Still something hard to find. Although quotas have been put on highly demanded goods, there are still some certain goods one may need a pretty good luck to acquire. Painkillers is one of them. Hand sanitizers and face masks have been out-of-stock for weeks, too. Flour and eggs used to be, though they are back on shelves as “item limited” goods now. The worst time was late March when panic-buying happened throughout the city. It is already much better.