Wolverhampton Mander Centre manager urges all customers to wear masks
The manager at Wolverhampton's Mander Centre has urged people to wear face masks when shopping to curb coronavirus.
Richard Scharenguivel made the plea alongside chiefs in the city.
It comes ahead of the country's second lockdown on Thursday – with non-essential retail shops closing under the rules.
Mr Scharenguivel said: “Wearing a face mask when you are inside the Mander Centre and any of our stores is both polite to other shoppers and the right thing to do during this time.
"We want all our customers to feel safe and enjoy their Mander Centre experience and that means everybody complying with the rules to protect each other and ensure a stress-free shopping and working environment for all of us."
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Figures in the seven days to October 30 show the virus rate in the city was at 263.55 per 100,000 – up from 249.06 per 100,000 the week before.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Wolverhampton Council's cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said everyone had a part to play in the fight against Covid-19.
Councillor Jaspal said: "Retailers in Wolverhampton have worked really hard to ensure their shops have continued to be safe and welcoming places for customers to visit during the coronavirus pandemic.
"The vast majority of shoppers have responded tremendously to the various measures which have been put in place, wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing and following one way systems where required.
""It's important to remember that shopping centres such as the Mander Centre and Wulfrun Centre in Wolverhampton are classed as indoor spaces and so you'll need to keep your face covering on as you move from one shop to another, and also please don't forget that, if you are travelling to the shops by train, bus, Metro or in a taxi, you need to wear your face covering on public transport.
"We all have a part to play in the fight against Covid-19 and it's incredibly important that we do everything we can to stop the spread of the virus."
The health chief urged people to respect shop staff, keep at a safe distance, carry hand sanitiser and pay using contactless methods rather than cash.
