Readers call for tougher lockdown measures

MOST PEOPLE SURVEYED WANT MASKS TO BE WORN OUTOORS

THE majority of readers who took part in a Nottingham Post survey would like stricter lockdown rules brought in to help bring down the rate of Covid infection.

We carried out a survey on our Nottinghamshire Live website for a fortnight as the third lockdown of the pandemic looks set to continue until at least March 8.

Readers were asked “Do lockdown restrictions need to be tightened?”.

3,570 responses were given and 67 percent (2,404) said yes.

A total of 1,069 (30 percent) said no to tightening the lockdown – with three percent unsure.

Nottinghamshire’s hospitals have never been busier with more Covid patients coming in needing hospital beds – and there are fears numbers will get higher yet this winter.

Readers were also asked: “Which one measure would be the most effective in reducing infection rates?”

The options and responses were:

■ Introduce a 3m rule

■ Wear masks outside in busy areas

■ Scrap support bubbles

■ Scrap childcare bubbles

■ Restrict school access to children of “critical workers”

■ Ban meeting people to exercise

■ Limit exercise to one hour a day

■ Increase fines for rule breaches

■ Shut nurseries for non-key workers

■ Close playgrounds

■ Shut car parks at country parks

With more than 2,400 responses to this question, the most popular answer was wearing masks outside in a busy area. This had 29 percent of the vote (709). Next was increasing fines handed out for rule breaches at 19 percent and restricting school access to children of “critical workers” came third with 11 percent.

Banning people from meeting to exercise and shutting nurseries for non-key workers both took eight percent of the vote.

The figures come after Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote an open letter to parents as they continue to homeschool their children.

It was announced last week that children would not go back to school until March 8 at the very earliest.

Schools remain open for children of key workers and vulnerable children.

However, pupils currently being home-schooled and taught online will not return until several weeks after halfterm.

More than 603 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Nottinghashire in just 24 hours last week.

A total of 1,141 cases were confirmed for Thursday and Friday.

The Government said a further 1,200 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Saturday, bringing the UK total to 105,571. The R for coronavirus transmission across the UK is between 0.7 to 1.1.