- Ensuring shops and workplaces comply with restrictions
Councillors in Wednesfield North said today “Residents and shop and store Keepers in Wednesfield North and across the City, should be aware that in recent weeks, especially following lockdown, complaints have started to be received in numbers from people concerned about Covid rules being ignored.”
With more information arriving from the public, about covid-rules which are being broken by some stores, and other stores ignoring it.
This is unacceptable and dangerous, given the transmissibility of the new variant, for premises not to obey the rules.
The Local Authority and the Police are giving a simple message: obey the rules or face a fine.
I can inform residents that a letter that has been sent on behalf of the council and the police – signed by our Director of Public Health, John Denley and Ch Supt Andy Beard, West Midlands Police. That letter clearly sets out what is expected of stores and their duty to support the city’s covid response, making their stores covid-compliant and, most importantly of all, protecting their customers and employees.
Councillor Bateman added “We have been briefed that since 1 September 2020, police officers/PCSOs have spoken to 9,200 and report 3,400 people have received some form of enforcement activity including:
- 3,000 people immediately complied with the restriction request made
- 250 people have received a formal direction to leave (Dispersal from a gathering)
- 150 people have received a fixed penalty notice
- 2 £10,000 fines have been issued, one to a business and the other in a residential setting
Wolverhampton also has a Joint Covid Enforcement Team, consisting of officers and staff from the police, Environmental Health and Licensing. Since 1 September, the team has visited 55 premises, with two closed due to repeated breaches. Eight prohibition notices have been served.”