THERE was no sign of long queues or any panic buying at Newport's supermarkets today, despite new coronavirus restrictions from the Welsh Government.

The new legislation makes it compulsory for businesses in Wales to complete a specific coronavirus risk assessment, with measures to minimise staff and customer exposure to the virus.

Supermarkets must now, by law, ensure that they are following basic public health measures – such as providing hand sanitisers for customers, limiting numbers of people inside stores, and making regular announcements asking people to keep their distance.

However, unlike other announcements of new restrictions for the sector, the news has not been met with a rush to the checkouts.

All of the big supermarkets in the city were reporting business as usual, with some even quieter than would be expected for a Saturday afternoon.

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Shopper Andy Jones, from Newport, said: "It's good to see.

"People were being really stupid before, they seem to have calmed down now.

"Everyone's got masks too, it's good to see."

Another shopper who did not wish to be named said that today was the first time "in ages" that she had visited the supermarket, and that it had been a pleasant surprise.

"I was getting anxious about going," she said.

"But it's loads quieter than I was expecting."

Earlier in the pandemic, supermarkets across the country implemented measures such as customer limits and one-way systems.

However, Mr Drakeford said that this may have lapsed as time went on.

"All of that has been in the guidance and many have stuck with it, but there is evidence that those are not there everywhere, in the way they were before," he said.

He said the new restrictions would enable people to be able to go shopping "knowing that all the measures are in place to protect them from coronavirus".

"Supermarkets are safe places," he said.

"We want to make sure they are even safer."