Piers MacDonald is fed up.

Faced with the prospect of not seeing his beer served in Kent's pubs until February the brewery boss is one of hundreds in the hospitality sector understandably frustrated.

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But the 54-year-old owner of Chatham Dockyard-based Nelson Brewery isn't just eager to see punters back propping up the bar in his beloved Fishermans Arms - he wants to see one industry in particular do its bit to ensure that can happen sooner rather than later.

"At the start, they used to sanitise the trolleys and monitor who went in and out - now they don't even enforce the wearing of face masks," he complains as he recounts a recent trip to his local supermarket - one of the UK's 'big five'.

NHS Test and Trace data shows 20% of those who have recently tested positive for coronavirus had gone shopping in the week before.

That's not entirely surprising given most people will head to the shops at least once a week but when coupled with other statistics points to a wider problem.

Public Health England data for the south east (the most local level which figures are available for) shows how many 'acute respiratory infection incidents' - defined as 'two or more laboratory confirmed cases (an outbreak) of Covid-19, influenza or other respiratory pathogens' - are linked to a number of industries, including schools, pubs and supermarkets.

In the week before the second lockdown there were six outbreaks linked to pubs and restaurants in the region. There were 14 in the four weeks to that point.

In the same period outbreaks linked to 'other settings', a category for which supermarkets make up by far the biggest chunk, numbered 22. There were 47 in the four weeks to that point.

Fast forward four weeks and with pubs and restaurants shut, in the final week of lockdown there was just one outbreak linked to the sector, which includes businesses like takeaways, and 12 across the four-week lockdown.

But there were 24 linked to 'other settings' and 117 during lockdown.

Across England there were 669 outbreaks linked to 'other settings' in the month before lockdown increasing to 722 during, while for pubs those figures were 131 dropping to 35.

In total, there were 473 outbreaks across the south east in the month before lockdown.

This almost doubled to 850 during lockdown - a fact reflected by Kent's rising infection rate in the period and its current Tier 3 status.

The reports were not compiled throughout the first lockdown, when Piers and others say supermarket measures were far stricter.

Kent entered lockdown in a relatively good position, with cases below the national average it was a pleasant shade of pale yellow on PHE's Covid map and winning praise from the country's top scientists during Downing Street briefings.

But it has exited as one of the worst affected parts of England - now an alarming scarlet.

That means, as Piers observes, the infection rate in the county has rocketed in a month when pubs and restaurants could do no more than operate as takeaways.

But supermarkets, which are evidently essential, have continued to do big business and, as Piers sees it without half the carefully laid out restrictions which were in place back in March.

He said: "They're not even doing basic checks and at one I went to at the weekend there was no hand sanitiser. They never challenge people over face masks which to me is the one thing that would be easiest to do. They say it's for staff safety but they're quite happy to challenge people over their age.

"If we're going to get out of this we need a solid plan in place and at the moment I think we've obviously got a problem in places like Maidstone and Medway [cases are rising week-on-week in both].

"People still think we're be out of this when they review it on December 16 but I don't see us opening [the Fishermans Arms in Maidstone is run by Piers' partner Valerie Gillingham] until February.

"On the night the 10pm curfew came in we had police drive past at five past 10 to check we'd closed and that's fair enough, but I don't see licensing officers or police checking supermarkets to make sure they're following the rules."

The fact Kent was singled out as a county doing well before lockdown made people complacent, Piers fears.

He's not alone in his views - Phil Thorley's Thorley Taverns runs pubs across Covid-hit Thanet and says after serving one million customers between lockdowns they had only recorded one case.

He says the hospitality industry has become the "whipping boys" and points to PHE data to prove that, as he sees it, science doesn't back up the current government approach.

Phil Thorley speaks to KMTV

Piers' complacency argument may explain why cases have continued to climb. Every major supermarket we approached claimed measures had stayed in place throughout the pandemic.

Privately managers think any perception of complacency is down to the attitude of customers rather than staff.

What the supermarkets said:

Morrisons said: "The safety of our customers and colleagues comes first. We have additional, simple measures to help everybody shop safely in our stores. The number of customers allowed into our stores is limited, and when this limit is reached we are inviting customers to queue outside in a socially distanced way. Where possible, we are asking our customers to shop alone when they can. Free hand and trolley sanitiser is available at the entrance and around the store and our door marshals can offer face masks to customers who may have forgotten them. In our stores, there are signs, floor stickers and tannoy announcements to help remind customers of social distancing measures. Our checkouts are being operated in a way which ensures we can keep colleagues and customers safe. And if customers have to queue for a checkout, we have made provision for them to do this in a socially distanced way, whilst being mindful of other shoppers."

Aldi said all measures were still in place, including traffic lights at the entrances, and while staff may have been stationed at doors at the start this was to ensure customers understood the new measures.

Increased click and collect and a higher limit on contactless payments have been introduced, while the company is still encouraging customers to shop alone.

Asda pointed to a list of safety measures on its website, the majority of which were things customers are asked to do, such as stay two metres apart.

The superstore says it still has perspex screens in place and safety marshals at the entrance of every store who, amongst other things, hand out sanitised baskets and trolleys - shoppers claim that is not the case.

It said: "Our colleagues have been working tirelessly to provide the same level of great customer service during the coronavirus outbreak. We have quickly shifted how we work to match demands across our range of products... We have introduced new initiatives to supplement the comprehensive safety measures that make our Asda stores a COVID-19 secure place to shop and work. These changes adhere to the advice from the government and have been put in place to keep you and our colleagues safe."

Tesco said: “We continue to follow all government guidance and we have extensive social distancing measures in all of our stores to ensure customers can maintain a safe distance shopping.”

The nation's most popular supermarket pointed to its ‘one-in, one-out’ system; staff stationed at the entrances of larger stores to remind customers about the safety measures we have in place, including the legal requirement to wear a face covering; floor markings; hand sanitiser stations; protective screens; and additional entrances where possible.

Contactless payment is encouraged and a traffic light system is going to be installed at entrances.

Sainsbury's also said they have not changed and safety measures.

A spokesman added: “Safety is our highest priority and our stores continue to have a range of measures in place – from perspex safety screens between checkouts and additional cleaning, to hand sanitiser and signs inside and throughout our stores which remind customers to keep a safe distance.

“We are asking all colleagues in our stores to wear face coverings, unless they’re exempt according to government guidelines. We are also continuing to remind customers to wear face coverings if they are able to. We have greeters outside our supermarkets and busy convenience stores, as well as posters and regular tannoy announcements.”

Two supermarkets pointed to a recent statement from Isabel Oliver, director of the National Infection Service at Public Health England.

It says: “Suggestions that supermarkets are causing Covid-19 to spread are inaccurate. Common exposure data does not prove where people are contracting Covid-19. It simply shows where people who have tested positive have been in the days leading up to their test and it is used to help identify possible outbreaks.”

But the first response when the statement was posted on Twitter shows not everyone is convinced: "In the last lockdown stores controlled the entrance & flow of customers brilliantly .... this time ..... free for all!! Why didn’t they do the same?" asked @lownyp.

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