Safety - customers are encouraged to wear facemasks to protect workers and each other Supermarket workers have thanked each other for their efforts in working through the pandemic and keeping south Essex going. While our NHS heroes have rightly earned widespread praise for their tireless work since the initial coronavirus outbreak in March, shop assistants working in essential stores have also played a key role in getting everyone through these tough times. A number of businesses have gone bust because of the financial implications which have come with Covid-19, but supermarkets have remained open throughout the pandemic. Among those to have welcomed thousands of customers over the course of the last 10 months is the Sainsbury’s store in Basildon’s Cricketers Retail Park.