How have residents reacted to the local lockdown in Caerphilly?

Caerphilly County Borough’s residents have been placed in lockdown once again following a spike in cases in the area.

But reaction to the measures has been mixed.

Caerphilly Observer spoke with residents in Caerphilly town centre on Wednesday morning (September 9) to hear their thoughts.

Dave Murphy, 33, said he agrees with measures and described the local lockdown as “necessary”.

He said: “We have to be safe, so I would rather have this localised lockdown than another few months of this everywhere else.

“If people adhere to it properly, then I can’t see how it won’t help.”

Emma Carter, 34, who has had to cancel a family holiday to Weymouth, described the new measures as a “pain”.

She said: “I have two children with learning difficulties and they were upset about their holidays. We get the kids back into a routine and the routine is gone again.”

Speaking about the extended household rules being reversed, Ms Carter said: “It feels like those who didn’t go out are the ones getting punished. I can meet people in the pub but not at home – it’s giving mixed signals.”

William Evans, 84, told Caerphilly Observer he feels that measures will reduce cases, but said “the future will tell us if that’s the case or not”.

Mr Evans also said he “entirely agrees” with the new rules forcing people over the age of 11 to wear a mask while in indoor places such as shops and banks.

He said: “I visited a hairdressers recently, while wearing a mask. But about three or four people came in who weren’t wearing masks and they weren’t asked to leave.

“People should be wearing masks in shops.”

However, he questioned why pubs were being allowed to remain open, and said: “I’m not blaming young people, but a cross-section of people. At some places there’s been no measures regarding the two-metre rules at all. I’ve seen it myself.

Caron Williams, 74, had been shielding until August 16 and said the new rules had made her “nervous”.

Ms Williams said: “I stayed in for the first lockdown and now I’m out again, we go back into lockdown.

“I’m not sure how the lockdown will make a difference if people don’t listen.”