More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Despite a ban on all non-essential travel, almost all motorists will need to take a trip to a nearby Kent petrol station in order to fill up their cars.
But the forecourt visit can be somewhat daunting due to fears of touching a pump used by hundreds of other germ-spreading customers.
So how should you safely conduct your time at the pumps?
Experts - and Public Health England - have debunked claims fuel stations are 'super spreading' Covid-19 but they do advise everyone wears disposable gloves.
Gloves are usually provided at the side of pumps, but to be sure, the best bet is to take a pair with you.
Wrapping a paper towel around the fuel pump is also good method of protection.
Once finished, drivers should wipe down all the equipment they touched and finish off by cleaning their hands with a different wipe or hand sanitiser.
All wipes and gloves used should be immediately disposed of in a forecourt bin, and you should avoid touching your face while wearing the gloves.
Some fuel stations now only offer gloves inside the kiosk after selfish thieves stole packs from the pumps.
Paying via contactless at the pump is the ideal option, but those who pay in person must attempt to minimise contact with anyone else in the kiosk.
Those with a sum of more than £45 will still require paying by pin, but everyone else is advised to use the contactless method in an effort to clamp down on touching unnecessary equipment.
Do not linger in the shop for unnecessary reason, and always keep two metres apart by adhering to markers on the floor.
Those paying at the pump should wipe down the touchscreen - and then discard the wipe - before they leave the station.
Motorists are encouraged to fill up their tanks to the brim to prevent further trips to the pumps.
Coinciding the fuel station trip with an essential visit to a supermarket is the favoured method of approach from experts.
Fuel prices have dramatically dropped in recent weeks, with the price of petrol now standing at less than £1 per litre at some stations.
