Salopians will be remaining cautious even when rules lifted
To mask or not to mask? That is the question.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has left it in the hands of the public on whether they wear face coverings from July 19, despite cases of coronavirus continuing to rise due to the Delta variant.
On a bright and sunny afternoon in Pride Hill, Shrewsbury, the Shropshire Star conducted a straw poll to see how people feel about binning face masks and the easing of other restrictions.
The streets were bustling with shoppers, most without masks on outside, some with.
The overwhelming feeling among Salopians was that the next stage of lockdown easing is a tad premature.
One couple feel the new rules don't take into consideration people who still want to wear masks and socially distance, who will not want to mingle en masse with hordes of people taking full advantage of the lifting of rules.
Emma Herbert and partner Simon Vernon from Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, believe a cautious approach is best.
Physiotherapist Emma said: "If people go mad, I just won't go out." Simon, an HGV driver, added: "I think they're missing a point. If the cases rise again we might have to go into a full lockdown again. It's taken a lot to get here so it would be a shame to waste it all."
"My daughter turns 18 on Wednesday and has her first jab on Thursday," said Emma. "We've got five kids between us and none of them have been double jabbed. I know the vaccine has been rolled out quickly but there are still people who aren't protected."
Students Faith Hartshorne and Lauren Duly, both 17, were surprised to see that restrictions will be further eased, given how quiet it has been at Shrewsbury College.
Lauren said: "There has been barely anyone in because of all the groups self-isolating."
Faith won't be taking any chances at this stage to avoid putting her loved ones at risk.
"I had a Covid scare last week," she said. "I'd been to see my nan the day before and she's got cancer. I would have felt awful if she caught it from me."
The pair are looking forward to booking a girls holiday together when things settle more.
Lynne Shinn and granddaughter Evie Finch, of Telford, were keeping their masks on, even when outside.
Retired Lynne felt concerned about how the public would react when the shackles are off.
"It's a difficult one," she said. "I think a lot of people will just go mad and not be sensible. I'm gradually going back to normal. I'm not rushing into it."
Student Evie isn't letting the Covid-19 situation stop her from doing things, but she's still being careful. "I'm still going out and about, probably more than before the pandemic. I'll just wear a mask."
Lynne said: "I'm looking forward to being able to meet in bigger groups. I've got a group of friends and there's about eight of us. At the moment only six of us can go if we want to go out for something to eat."
