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Shopping centre Westfield Stratford City has announced it is “substantially closed” amid the outbreak of the Covid-19 outbreak.
The shopping centre announced its closure on social media with a statement that it was closed with exceptions from grocery stores and pharmacies to “service our communities’ needs.”
The statement read: “We urge anyone coming to our centres to purchase essential items, to please practice social distancing and be considerate to other customers and employees.
“M&S Food Halls and Waitrose are offering bespoke services to help at this time, including reserved shopping times for the vulnerable and key workers. Waitrose is also protecting batches of hard to find and essential stock exclusively for NHS workers, whilst also providing them with a priority checkout process.”
The statement also added that Boots will still remain open as it has an “NHS contract to provide NHS pharmacy services to the local community”.
“With the increasing shortage of availability of online delivery, the retail teams at these stores are working around the clock to stock their shelves and provide hard to purchase items for our communities.”
Westfield Stratford City also revealed car park A and B will remain open and car park C will be closed until further notice.
The statement concluded: “We fully recognise the impact this situation is having on all our communities and our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted.”
Westfield London also released a similar statement on social media announcing its closure.
The news follows as Boris Johnson announced that the UK public are only allowed to venture out of their homes for essential supplies and one exercise outing per day, or face fines, under new measures introduced yesterday evening (23 March).
In a recorded address filmed in No 10 Downing Street, Boris Johnson said the police will have the power to disperse groups of more than two people, and levy on-the-spot fines for people flouting the new rules.
