Health workers in the UK got a much-needed morale boost after supermarket staff showered them with applause and flowers in shops across the country.
The touched NHS workers broke into tears as they took advantage of the shopping hour reserved for them so that they could purchase needed supplies in the midst of panic buying.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and other supermarkets across the country decided to allocate a special shopping hour for key workers after panic buyers cleaned out essential items like toilet paper, pasta, and canned food, leaving none for the health workers.
With 6,650 confirmed cases and 335 deaths, health workers have been hard-pressed to get their own supplies.
In Swansea, supermarket workers lined up at the entrance and clapped while doctors and nurses walked through. Stores in Truro, Newton, and Shrewsbury gave bouquets of flowers.
The Tesco store in Llansamlet received the medical staff in Swansea who was shopping for food before heading back to the coronavirus frontlines.
One shopper said: “It’s time to thank our NHS workers. They are around the clock and risking their own lives to save others.
“They are the everyday heroes who are doing something incredible all as part of their day job.”
Tesco has allotted an hour each day specifically for NHS workers so that they can do their shopping before the store opens to the general public.
Another shopper said: “We have never needed our doctors and nurses more.”
NHS workers who were touched at the gesture thanked the supermarkets on social media.
One tweeted: “Nearly cried in the supermarket today… went to the early NHS shop time for @sainsburys and everyone was so kind and gave me a free bunch of flowers as I left and said ‘thank you.’ That’s the best end to a weekend on call.”
Another said: “Thank you #Morrisons store in Chapel-le-frith Derbyshire staff for early #NHS opening and to be given a lovely bunch of flowers as I left was a fab start to a very strange week xxx.”
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