Day of action finds generally good levels of Covid compliance

People and businesses in Wolverhampton continue to show a high level of compliance with the Covid-19 regulations, following the latest day of action by Wolverhampton Police and the City of Wolverhampton Council on Tuesday (26 January).

The vast majority of people were maintaining social distancing and wearing face coverings, while most shops and businesses were also complying with the measures in place to keep infections down.

Although in the main people were following the regulations, police issued eight fixed penalty notices – including fines to the five occupants of one car, all from different households, who were out socialising.

In addition, 83 directions to leave were issued affecting 161 people who did not have a valid reason to be out. It is currently against the law to meet socially with family or friends unless they are part of the same household or support bubble or to leave home for recreational or leisure purposes.

Superintendent Simon Inglis, from Wolverhampton Police, said: "The vast majority of people understand the severity of the situation and are sticking to the rules so that we can keep infection rates down.

"However, the fact that we had to issue eight fixed penalty notices and 83 directions to leave shows the challenge we still face in terms of compliance and, while it's great that most are doing the right thing, we won't just sit back against those who blatantly don't - particularly in those areas of the city where compliance is lower."

Supermarkets were also subject to spot checks by police and council environmental health officers, following similar visits on Saturday to assess Covid compliance levels and the measures which retailers have put in place to keep staff and customers safe.

Councillor Steve Evans, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for City Environment, said: "It has been pleasing to see that, generally speaking, the major retailers are doing the right thing, and we will continue to work closely with them to identify any areas for improvement.

“These could include ensuring measures they have put in place are being used properly – for example, proactively sanitising trolleys and baskets and encouraging their customers to practice social distancing throughout stores."

He added: “We know it's been a tough time for all businesses but it's also been tough for everyone else. This new variant is much more aggressive – a small change in behaviours can make a big difference"
A further enforcement day is planned next week.

People who have concerns about businesses not being Covid compliant can report their experiences to the council online via www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/covidreport-it or by calling 01902 550188.

Latest figures show there were 506.8 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton over the seven days to 26 January. That means 1,333 people in the city tested positive for the virus in that seven day period – though the true number of new cases will likely be considerably higher.

The latest information and guidance around coronavirus is available at www.gov.uk/coronavirus and on the council’s own coronavirus pages at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus. Further details of the lockdown restrictions currently in place, and the answers to frequently asked questions, are available at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/covidalert.