'Sublime to the ridiculous': Wolverhampton shoppers have their say on coronavirus rules
‘From the sublime to the ridiculous’ – people have had their say on the latest coronavirus restrictions being placed on Wolverhampton.
Council leaders in Wolverhampton have urged people to not visit each other’s households in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
The measures were brought in on a voluntary basis in Wolverhampton this week but are set to become mandatory from Tuesday.
But the restrictions, including the limit to six people meeting inside or outside, have led to confusion in the city.
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Paul Kimberley, from Wednesfield, who is aged 61, said: “To be honest there’s different views on it. I can’t make it out, really.
“What’s good for one place isn’t good for another and I can’t understand it.
“They say in some of the shops ‘you must wear a mask’, and I was in Bilston last week and security was on the doors – but they were letting people come in and out.
“I asked ‘why are you letting these people come in?’ and they said they couldn’t stop people – they’ve got no power to. I argued and asked what was the point of being there then?
“Things are going to get worse and worse – more than it is at the at the moment – and at this rate the virus might not go until next year.
“It’s all been wrong – all the restrictions – and the Prime Minister is coming on and saying about the rules and people are just ignoring them.
“You can go out and meet people at the pub but you can’t meet them at home? What’s the point of that? Why have they come up with this? It doesn’t make sense.
“On top of that you have social distancing. Since it started people have taken no mind of it.
"You queue up, follow the rules, and you get in somewhere and people are just standing in isles and people are trying to squeeze past.
"I can’t get my head around it. It’s really pathetic, it really is.”
Nicholas Shorthouse, from Finchfield, who works in finance, was in the city centre with his two-year-old son.
The 34-year-old said: “I was a key worker throughout the original lockdown and I didn’t really notice any change.
“Nothing changed a great deal for me. I thought the mask business – enforcing the rules after months – should’ve been started at the start. And now I think we’re going from the sublime to the ridiculous with the new restrictions.”
Fil Lombardi, who runs Treble Chef Catering food cart on Dudley Street in Wolverhampton, said the new rules – limiting house visits – were confusing, and didn’t know if his daughter who lives in Sandwell would be able to visit.
He said: “We were wondering if she could visit because she’s in Sandwell and they’ve got the restrictions there – but does that apply to Sandwell only? Can she come and visit us?
"The problem is that it’s so confusing and people just ignore what they’re saying anyway.
"The youngsters don’t give a damn and as far as they are concerned it doesn’t affect them. And you can see it all over.”
Sheila Humpage and partner Maurice Brown, both from Lanesfield in the city, said MPs were acting like “children” over the measures.
Sheila, aged 78, said: “They need to get their heads together over this. It’s a big of a disaster, all of it, and they’re like children in the House of Commons.
“You can go sit in a pub but you can’t see your loved ones at home? And why wait until a certain date to bring the measures in? They should put them in now.
“People aren’t following the rules either – I’ve already gone a month without seeing my grandchildren. We can meet them in a pub – not in our homes – and it’s somewhere which is full and busy.
“And people aren’t wearing masks, but some people have health issues which I can understand. But I’ve never seen so many masks being thrown away on the floor.”
Mr Brown, aged 75, added: “They’re stupid really. It should’ve been nipped in the bud a long time ago – a long long time ago. I can’t understand why they say rules will be imposed next Tuesday but it should be done now.”
