Coronavirus: Reopening shops during Leicester lockdown 'pointless'

Reopening non-essential stores in Leicester's lockdown zone is "pointless" and "confusing", some shop owners have said.

From Friday such businesses can open their doors again after more than three weeks of local lockdown.

However, the government has said all but essential travel in to, out of and within the city is still not allowed.

It has confirmed this means people should not leave their homes just to visit the reopened stores.

The local lockdown which was imposed after a spike in coronavirus cases remains in place until 1 August.

Some shop owners have decided it is not worth reopening as residents have been told not to venture out solely for non-essential shopping.

"It's so confusing," said Arinder Bhullar, who runs a bridal shop on the Golden Mile. "Are we in lockdown, or are we not?"

She said she had decided to open for the first time since March, as she wanted to take the opportunity to keep the business going.

However, she said she worries it may be "pointless" as many of her customers are from outside the city and would not be allowed to enter except for essential travel.

"I'm a little apprehensive, we don't know if people will actually come," she said.

"We're going to give it a couple of days and see how it goes.

"We need solid information from the government. People do not know where they stand."

Across the city Drew Harriman, owner of furniture and homeware store Harriman and Co, has decided to stay shut.

He said the situation was "absolutely ridiculous", and reminded him of when the government told people to stay away from pubs but did not tell them to close.

"What's the point of opening a store that is not essential in the middle of a lockdown?" he asked.

"This will confuse people. The government are playing games with businesses and livelihoods."

Callum Goodson, who works for independent clothes store Pilot, said fewer customers had returned to the shop compared to the easing of the first lockdown in June.

The 22-year-old said: "[Last time] there were queues of people outside.

"The reopening this time has been a lot slower - there's been a massive decrease in customers."

The Highcross shopping centre will reopen on Monday with a new one-way system, hand sanitiser stations, and reminders that face masks must be worn throughout the centre.

Some shoppers have taken advantage of the reopening of some non-essential stores.

The city centre's Primark has reopened, whereas the adjacent New Look and H&M remain closed.

But Raj Sudra, 24, who works in a food shop, said: "I just don't see the point in it right now. The number of cases are still quite high and you can buy so much stuff online.

"Although I can see the problem for businesses."

Helen Murphy, 69, came into the city to buy food at Marks & Spencer, but decided to visit Primark to browse jumpers while she was in the centre.

She said: "The government advice is a mess. They've got to reopen shops though, we've got to live and carry on, we can't just stay at home.

"My daughter works in retail, so does my son-in-law - they'd lose their jobs if we didn't."

According to the Federation of Small Businesses in the East Midlands, which represents about 500 shops in the city, the reaction of its members has been "mixed".

Jennifer Thomas, from the organisation, said: "Some can't wait to get going. But some are asking if it's worth it. Why reopen if no-one is actually allowed out? It's a very tough decision, there's an expense to reopening."

Leicester City Council has said it will be "monitoring the situation very carefully" to make sure staff and customers are safe.

Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby met government officials earlier to discuss the city's "escape plan" - how and when the local lockdown might be eased.

He said it had been "very productive" but no decision had been reached on what it would take for the restrictions to be relaxed.

NHS Test and Trace chief executive Baroness Dido Harding said Leicester's coronavirus cases had fallen, but the numbers were "still very high".

"I don't think that Leicester is completely out of the woods yet and it's really important that anyone living in Leicester comes forward for a test," she added.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said non-essential shops were being allowed to reopen because the city's infection rate was going down, but the guidance "remains to stay at home as far as possible".

He added: "People should not travel solely for non-essential shopping."

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