Locals on life in lockdown
WHAT HULL IS SAYING AS NEW RULES START
THE second national lockdown has as begun in a bid to drive down the corronavirus infection rates and reduce ce deaths.
Hull city centre was a lot quieter er yesterday afternoon after the new w rules kicked in.
Normally bustling with shoppers rs and people going about their daily ly business, it instead looked rather er bleak with crowds no longer out on n the streets.
The city was abnormally still now w that we have been told to stay at home until December 2, only leaving for “specific purposes” - with the rules in place for at least a month.
These reasons include childcare or education, if you cannot work from home, to exercise outdoors, for medical reasons and shopping for basic necessities.
Shutters were down on many shops, as non-essential retail has been forced shut - except for delivery to customers and click-and-collect - and the normally bustling pubs and bars were shut to customers.
On the first day of the second lockdown, the Mail spoke to people out in Queen Victoria Square and this is what they had to say.
Wilma Whittaker, 60 and her husband Thomas, 61, both have health conditions that meant they needed to shield during the first lockdown.
Mr Whittaker has suffered from throat cancer and cares for Wilma, who uses a wheelchair due to being an amputee.
She says that the pandemic has made her “frightened” to come out and increased her depression, but that Thursday was the first day the pair had been out for a while, due to needing essential supplies.
“We have been out to Tesco for shopping,” said Mrs Whittaker.
“This is the first time I’ve been out for a long time and it’s stressed me out.
“I’m frightened to come out because of the pandemic and I was even worried about going out before that because I’m claustrophobic.”
University of Hull students Ana Johnson and Georgia Dagger, both 19, were out having lunch in the centre after picking up an essential item.
Ana needed to pick up her glasses and was grateful that the opticians was w still open, with the pair treating themselves th to a Mcdonald’s while they th were out.
They said that lockdown has been to tough for them as students through being unable to socialise as normal, but that they were braced for lockd down 2.
“I came to get my glasses - it would’ve been a disaster if the opticians was shut as I’ve only got prescription sunglasses otherwise,” said A Anna.
“We got some lunch while we were out, but I won’t be back out for lu lunch again and will be just coming o out for the essentials, so this might b be my last Maccies for a while.
“You can definitely tell that the s second lockdown has kicked in now a as it’s much quieter in the centre and p people are abiding by the rules.”
Luke Garside, 24, is an office worker that was out on his lunch break.
But due to the new restrictions coming in to force, he will now be forced to work back from home on Friday.
“We have only just got back to the office and are now stopping working from the office tomorrow,” he said.
“We’ve come out for some food while we can and it’s a lot quieter for a lunch break compared to normal.
“I’ve been fine generally during pandemic, as I’m a bit of a hermit.”