I wonder how many shop/garden centre products have been tested at the end of a day to see if they do carry traces of virus. I would be very interested in the result.
I don't know if retail goods have been tested in real life conditions.
as far as I know the virus doesn't survive as long in open air. Garden centre is one of the few places I'm relaxed about visiting. I don't have a car so have only gone (twice this year) to the one I can walk to. I won't be visiting the one at the far side of town until next summer as the journey involves 2 bus journeys each way + a wait at the bus station. I judge that travelling on a bus is a greater risk to my health than being in a draughty garden centre. I usually cleaned or washed my hands after leaving a garden centre pre-Covid, washed hands after unpacking purchases at home, and washed them again after using/planting the items I'd bought, so no real change.
I went on my first Covid long-distance bus journey (40 minutes) last week to a hospital appointment. Man across aisle from me wore his mask below his nose. Average of 6 passengers on a big bus on outward & return journeys. I took my own hand-sanitiser + spare disposable mask.
I've worn disposable masks only for medical appointments. I've bought a few washable ones. Otherwise, for brief visits to local shops, I improvise with tea-towels which are worn once then put in a 60 degrees wash-load. Often I'm the sole customer in a shop. 4 of the shops have a constant change of air from open doors.
The law in Scotland is to wear a face-covering, it doesn't specify a mask. Religious face-coverings count so I made use of my large stock of tea-towels.
My area was in Tier 4 until yesterday.
