ALDI is giving all emergency service workers priority access to stores whatever time of day they need to shop.

Supermarkets are some of the few stores allowed to stay open in light of a government ban on non-essential stores still operating.

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But most supermarkets are limiting the number of customers allowed in stores at any one time to make sure shoppers are abiding by new social distancing rules.

This is where people stand at least two metres – six feet – apart to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Now, Aldi has promised emergency workers that they will be allowed in stores "as soon as social distancing guidelines permit" rather than joining the back of the queue.

Emergency service workers will need to show their ID, such as an NHS card, whenever they come to the store and they need to skip the queue.

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Many stores have also been struggling to keep up with demand as shoppers strip shelves bare because they're stockpiling.

Despite bosses and the government urging the public to shop normally because there is “enough food for everyone”, customers are still excessively purchasing items like tinned goods, pasta and toiletries.

Critical care nurse Dawn Bilbrough made a tearful and desperate plea for people to stop stockpiling after she was unable to buy basic foods at the end of a long 48-hour shift.

Some supermarkets such as Morrisons and Tesco introduced special opening hours for NHS workers to make sure that they can get what they need.

Aldi announced that from tomorrow it will be opening half an hour early on Sunday mornings solely for emergency service key workers, but many will miss the special opening hours due to shift work.

These specific opening hours will still go ahead for emergency service workers as well as priority access during the remaining opening hours.

Aldi has also implemented a four items per shopper limit on all products.

It has also reduced the number of nappies, toilet paper and kitchen roll to two per person.
Supermarkets have also asked for customers to tell them if they are self isolating when ordering a delivery to reduce the risk of the infection spreading.

Meanwhile the store has created 5,000 new temporary jobs top cope with the coronavirus demands.

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