Booksellers keep Covid-19 measures and urge 'responsible' shopping

Booksellers are planning to continue some level of Covid-19 safety measures, despite the government’s scrapping of all mandatory precautions in England, including face masks, from 19th July.

This week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the final stage of lockdown easing in England would proceed later this month. Measures like the one-metre social distancing rule and mandatory wearing of face masks will also be scrapped.

James Daunt, m.d. of Waterstones, said his shops will continue to maintain their existing safety measures but the chain will review the situation nearer the July date. Many indies intend to keep social distancing, perspex screens and hand sanitiser on the premises, and to ease restrictions according to customer and staff feedback.

Speaking to The Bookseller, Daunt, said: “If the guidance remains the same we’ll follow the guidance with a strong recommendation that common sense is applied and respect for others and all the things that, generally I think, will come naturally to our booksellers. But the guidance in the different parts of the United Kingdom is likely to be different so we’ll be following different things at different places. We certainly will be maintaining all of our safety measures, the screens and the rest. And we will assume that common sense will prevail, but there’s a long time to go. Speculation isn’t completely helpful at this point."

A spokesperson for the chain also said staff would be encouraged to use face masks, social distance appropriately and sanitise hands. “We would also recommend these safeguards are voluntarily maintained, at least until virus infection rates have stabilised across the country,” they said. “As per government advice, customers will individually decide whether to maintain these safeguards.”

A number of indies intend to carry forward some form of safety measures, in order to make staff and customers feel comfortable.

Ron Johns, who owns three bookshops in Cornwall, is planning on restricting numbers allowed in stores, but will relax other measures. “We won’t enforce face masks — staff will have their own choice about wearing them, and our screens will remain up,” he said. “It’s still important that my staff and customers feel in the safest environment. We still will have sanitiser availability. It’s sort of see what happens and see if the landscape and confidence returns.”

Nigel Jones, bookseller and co-founder of East Gate Bookshop in Totnes, is planning on keeping similar measures in place and advocates “responsible” shopping. He commented: “I dislike wearing a face mask all day, but appreciate that mask wearing is the number one factor for preventing the spread of Covid infection. I can’t speak for any staff members, but I will probably continue to wear my mask and we will keep our Perspex counter shield in place. We will also continue to provide hand sanitising stations in the shop. Hopefully everyone will behave responsibly and not act as if Covid is vanquished, as it isn’t.”

Mog Harris, co-founder of Warwick Books, feels there is a lack of clarity around the risks of voluntary caution, and said the shop would be taking steps at its own pace. She said: “We are looking forward to not having to police restrictions and having our shop open to be accessed freely. We are not looking forward to having to deal with the inevitable bumpy road that the lifting of restrictions will mean and hope that locally people will be understanding of people wanting and needing to take things at their own speed.

“We also feel it is very unclear what the full extent of the risks are as the number of fully vaccinated people increases and hospital admissions aren’t spiking yet even if cases are. It’s just a moral minefield.”