Posted: Thu 22nd Oct 2020

Flintshire Councillor voices frustration over people failing to sanitise hands in supermarkets

News and Info from Deeside, Flintshire, North Wales
This article is old - Published: Thursday, Oct 22nd, 2020

A Flintshire councillor has voiced his frustration over people’s failure to wash their hands on their way into supermarkets. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Hand sanitiser stations have been set up at the entrance to stores across the UK since the coronavirus pandemic began. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

It follows advice from the NHS that washing your hands is a key part of preventing the spread of viruses such as Covid-19. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

However, Flint Trelawny councillor Paul Cunningham said he had witnessed a number of shoppers ignoring the hygiene facilities provided in supermarkets. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

He claimed the situation had got worse since the start of the pandemic, when there was more public messaging to encourage hand washing. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Speaking at a virtual scrutiny committee meeting held today (Thursday, 22 October), he said: “People don’t seem to be washing their hands and people certainly don’t use the sanitising stations when they go into supermarkets. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“These are just basic things that people should be doing to stem this pandemic and it’s basic hygiene. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“They make things for people to sanitise their trollies and they just disregard it. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“I’m not just talking about young people; it goes right across the board.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

He added: “People of our age should know better but walk into supermarkets without doing this. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“It really gets me mad and sometimes I go over the top with my expletives.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

During the meeting, members of the local authority’s social and health care scrutiny committee were told hospitals and care homes in the area had witnessed an increase in cases of Covid-19 in recent weeks. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Flintshire is one of four counties in North Wales which was put under local lockdown restrictions earlier this month due to a rise in infections, along with the city of Bangor in Gwynedd. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Meanwhile, the Welsh Government is set to implement a national “fire-break” lockdown tomorrow, similar to the restrictions introduced in March. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Despite the challenges, the council’s chief officer for social services said health and social care services in the county had still been kept running. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Neil Ayling said: “The recent incidence of increases in Covid have impacted on care homes and on social care establishments as they have on other parts of the community. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“We do have higher numbers of red care homes, where there’s been an instance of Covid which prevents further admissions to that home. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“That is stabilising and that’s been the case across North Wales. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“We are managing to keep services going and keep admissions from hospital where needed.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

  ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter (more here). ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

  ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Spotted something? Got a story? Send a Facebook Message | A direct message on Twitter | Email: News@Deeside.com

Latest News

  • Accounts report has ‘further damaged public trust’ in Betsi, says North Wales MS
  • Flint RNLI and Coastguard swiftly respond to Greenfield Dock medical emergency
  • Chasing Shadows: Navigating the Maze of Debt Collection Time Limits in the UK

  • More...

    Accounts report has ‘further damaged public trust’ in Betsi, says North Wales MS

    News

    Flint RNLI and Coastguard swiftly respond to Greenfield Dock medical emergency

    News

    Chasing Shadows: Navigating the Maze of Debt Collection Time Limits in the UK

    #AD

    Asda unveils free grocery delivery trial in limited time offer

    News

    Changes being made at Betsi Cadwaladr but wider improvements will take time, says health minister

    News

    Driver advice for Manchester’s big weekend of events

    News

    Demand for transparency: Welsh Conservatives push for release of Betsi finance report

    News

    Greenfield Valley’s ‘Party in the Park’ transforms into ‘Live at the Valley’

    News

    Wales at risk of missing decarbonisation targets unless efforts are accelerated

    News