Supermaket sign about closure of dry cleaning services

A4 dark green Waitrose sign with light green and white text titled ‘We’re so sorry..,’ and reading ‘we’re no longer able to take items for dry cleaning at this time’, from Waitrose & Partners, Finchley and of the type used in Waitrose shops during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020

With COVID-19 cases rising across the United Kingdom, staff absences in supermarkets meant that non-essential services were often closed. Many found themselves working in different roles to try to keep up with growing demand but reduced supplies.

Supermarket workers were considered key workers - designated by the United Kingdom government as “critical to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and EU transition response. One scientific report concluded that supermarkets were one place where people could catch COVID-19 with people working there at higher risk.