Craig Cooper: Essential workers in dairies and supermarkets have been forced into role of Covid cops

Essential workers in supermarkets and dairies have become covid cops, and smaller businesses don't have the resources to employ security staff. Photo / Paul Taylor

OPINION

Less than a week ago 'how is your day going?' was probably the extent of an opening interaction between supermarket workers and their customers.

But five days into level 4 lockdown and they were appointed Covid cops, along with other frontline workers in dairies and service stations.

These essential workers now find themselves, if not policing mask wearing, then interacting with offenders.

They have been put in this awkward position by virtue of new rules which make masks compulsory when you go shopping.

As we remain in level 4, these rules are important - Delta is the most contagious variant of Covid-19 so far.

Supermarkets will no doubt be training staff on what to say to someone who tries to enter a store or approach a checkout with no mask.

One worker outside a Napier countdown was given a hard time by someone who claimed they had a medical exemption from wearing a mask. They didn't.

The worker's approach was friendly, the rule breaker's wasn't.

Countdown has said it won't stop people from entering the premises if they aren't wearing a mask.

The approach is in line with a popular supermarket industry guideline for dealing with shoplifters - avoid physical and verbal confrontation, and don't try to stop them leaving the store. Or in the case of masks, coming in.

It was disgusting to hear that a Hawke's Bay dairy worker was racially abused when he questioned a customer who was not wearing a mask.

Another worker says people are presenting official looking paperwork claiming to have exemptions.

There may well be some people out there who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons.

But they don't come bearing a permission slip downloaded off the internet that uses Ministry of Health graphics, colours and fonts.

Brigitte Narayan, a staff member at Pirimai Plaza Dairy, told Hawke's Bay Today she wished there were security guards manning the door, just like the supermarkets.

"I have got lots of people outside waiting without a mask, who I have to turn away. I feel like I am security, police, everything, all at once.

"We are the enforcers of the rules but it gets hard when we don't have help.''

None of us signed up for level 4 mask wearing, but cut our essential workers in small and large businesses some slack.

They are just trying to do their jobs, and their job descriptions have changed dramatically - and let's hope not permanently - in the last week.