‘I am taking every single precaution I possibly can... why can’t you? I do not want to die’... A powerful message from a Derry shop worker

I work in a supermarket. I do not have the option to work from home or have 80% of my wages paid to me etc etc. I HAVE to go to work. I am risking my life and my family’s so that you and yours can eat.

Lock down was announced yesterday, we were told not to go out unless it was essential. Today, not one thing changed! Today people coming to the shop to buy a Mars bar ... a bottle of coke ... a scratchcard ... bringing their kids to get treats. Have a word with yourself !!!!

Single parents who have no choice but to bring there child in to do a shop, I get it I really do. But those of you who think going to the shop is a family outing get a grip !!!!!! Family of 5 (or whatever you may have) you do not need to be there !!!!! ‘Aw but we needed out’, ‘Aw wee Joe wanted a lolly’, ‘Aw but wee Sally wanted a bag of crisps’... you get up next week and you all have coronavirus, some of your family members will die. Wee Joe is dead cuz he needed a lolly. Wee Sally is dead because she needed a bag of crisps ... WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!!!

We have had social distancing drummed into us all via the news, Facebook or whatever else. What is so hard to understand?!!!

There is a screen in front of our tills saying stand behind here. It’s for your safety and ours, it’s not there for crack. Standing round talking to your friends in front of a till area, beside myself and my colleagues laughing and joking not a care in the world, having a grand wee time to yourselves. Standing so close that we can feel your breath on our faces.

The shelves need to be stocked so that you can buy your goods, is it so hard to move as far away as you can from my colleagues while you walk past. Is it so hard to not walk shoulder to shoulder with a complete stranger in an aisle? Your children left to their own devices to do what ever they want, touching God knows what and God knows who?

Giving us abuse because you can only have one of our restricted items. We did not make these rules, your behaviour did.

I have a family that I’m not able to see. I have a one year old. I have a partner. I come home from work take my shoes off at the door and leave them outside with my personal belongings. My child and my partner hides in the room so they do not to come in contact with me so that I can strip off at the door, take my clothes and put them straight into the washing machine. I dettol everything I touch on the way. Then I go and take a shower in the hottest water I can stand and scrub every inch of me red raw before I can say so much as hello to my daughter.

I am taking every single precaution I possibly can ... why cant you? .... I do not want to die. I do not want my family or friends to die. I do not want my child to lose her mother. I do not want to bury my child. Pleaseeee have some regard for the rest of us, even if you don’t give a s**t about yourself. Take a good look at yourselves and ask do u really ‘NEE’ to go to the shops. You are not invincible. You are not immune! I am begging you STAY AT HOME.