Funding provided to Abbey Centre ‘to help manage social distancing’

The local authority confirmed the allocation following scenes at the weekend which saw large queues gather outside the centre’s Primark branch.

The centre’s Primark outlet had announced that it would be open from 9am on Friday (December 11) right through until 6pm on Saturday – a continuous opening time of 33 hours.

Pictures and videos shared on social media over the weekend showed queues snaking round the shopping centre with many people claiming that it took around two hours before they could enter the store.

A number of people in the social media coverage do not appear to be wearing face coverings and social distancing does not seem to being adhered to in some of the photographs.

In a statement, a council spokesperson said: “The council has provided the Abbey Centre with funding for additional security to help manage social distancing at the centre, and has also offered Abbey Centre a supply of face coverings to distribute free of charge to shoppers.

“We are aware of events over the weekend at the Abbey Centre and our Environmental Health Team has been liaising closely with centre management to advise on the measures which need to be put in place to ensure the safety of the public and a further meeting was held this morning (Monday).

“The council is keeping the situation under review.”

In a statement issued to the News Letter, a spokesperson for Primark explained: “Employee and customer safety are Primark’s highest priority.

“We are closely following all government advice at our re-opened stores and have rigorous health and safety measures in place, including a strict social distancing protocol and limits on the number of customers allowed in store, with dedicated Primark employees and security staff on hand to manage queues.”

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