A bit concerned about Cornwall

[exiledfromcornwall]

I have been following the new confirmed cases figures for Cornwall closely as I have family down there, and over the last few days there has been a noticeable uptick in the figures, compared with a few weeks ago when the rise each day/week was negligible.

I know the tourism industry down there is crying out for business, and they don't want a complete lost summer, so I have no problem with people going there on holiday per se. I just wish people would engage their brains when they are on holiday. My cousin told me he went to the shops just after the mandatory masks ruling was brought in and he reckoned there was about 25% compliance. Also I have been hearing ridiculous accounts of people saying things like "we came down here to get away from all that social distancing" or "it's okay, there's no virus down here". Do people really think Cornwall is some virus-free utopia? God help Cornwall, is all I can say.

namechanged857889 , it will be fine and u will have a lovely holiday down here in sunny Cornwall! Ignore the few who are trying to put you off on the Facebook groups, most of us locals are happy to have u! I have lived in Cornwall all my life in a ‘holiday hotspot’ and despite all the ‘incidents’ you read about on social media I have never witnessed anyone being hostile to a tourist! We are a welcoming bunch really, I promise!

@namechanged857889 don't cancel your holiday ! We go every year and have never had experience of or felt the sort of hostility you are describing you have seen on FB. Have a lovely time

I’d so love to go home this season, haven’t seen my parents for 14 months, but i think it’s just too busy. Mum says it’s heaving down there and we haven’t even got to August.

I was in Cornwall (St Ives and near St Austell) for a pre booked holiday between 7 and 16 July. Where we live in South London, prior to 7 July, generally around 50% of people in shops like Tesco were wearing masks. In the shops I went to (a big Waitrose and a large farm shop en route in Devon) very few people wore masks. Like literally us and maybe 1 in every 10 other people, probably less. I was really surprised. Plenty of hand sanitizer about though, although I found the rules on going into small shops a bit confusing - one shop had a sign inviting you to use hand sanitizer (but didn't suggest it was mandatory for entry). Because I'd literally just been into the neighbouring shop and used it there, rightly or wrongly I didn't use it again. Shopkeeper lady snapped at me for this.

There was 4 cases reported today in Cornwall out of a population of 600,000. Off the top of my head a couple of weeks ago there would have been 1 or 2 cases per day. There has been a rise in cases and we should still be careful but Cornwall isn’t a Coronavirus hot spot!

Falmouth was very busy yesterday but everyone was wearing a mask in the shops we visited and it was easy to avoid any large crowds.

@namechanged857889 We went to Cornwall last weekend and found people friendly and welcoming. We were very aware of distancing but found people fairly relaxed, lots of and sanitiser on entry to restaurants etc

I’ve just got back from Cornwall. Visited lots of places including Toryism hot spots. Almost every single customer in every shop I went into (dozens) were wearing masks. Shop workers about 50/50.
Some busier shops had staff on the door to check. Lots of one way systems. Pretty much everyone working there (locals) were very friendly. It did get busy in places outside sometimes but on the whole people were trying to avoid other strangers as much as they could and give people a wide berth.
To be honest some days out were pretty empty as everything has to be pre booked.
In my experience most people are being wary and sensible.

Tourism

I live in a tourist hotspot and have heard similar things - 'nice to get away from the virus' etc. And some people seem to think that if they're wearing a mask there isn't any need for social distancing.

It's good to see the tourists back as I think the local economy needs it, but I do get the vibe from some that they think they've 'escaped' the virus in some way, and that their usual precautions aren't needed.

In pz shops we wore masks but encountered 3 teens not doing so but they could be exempt. They also have a one way system on pavements which is largely ignored. It’s harder to do that you think. Went for a meal and a drink with dh. All by the book. It’s busy on the beaches!

Frumpety - lots of those Porthgwidden parking spaces are tied to accommodation. I’ve had one a couple of times and it was like the holy grail.

Did you know that the centre of St Ives is currently closed to traffic 11-4 anyway? You wouldnt be able to drive into town. You have to turn left by the cinema.

I don't think you need to worry too much.

I live near a tourist hotspot on the edge of London and it has been very busy since Easter. Most locals were happy that visitors could come and enjoy our lovely area, but it has some very narrow streets and bottlenecks on the paths, so there was quite a lot of squeezing past going on. There was also a lot of spending in our shops and takeaways which might mean that most survive. The Council allowed free parking but no toilets. I amused myself by looking at residents' parking permits to see where cars had come from. It was a wide area and very unreasonable of our Councillor to say that people should go home if they needed the toilet - some had driven for hours.

Despite the crowds, the close proximity and the peeing and pooing in our open spaces and a certain amount of exuberance and drinking, we have had one of the lowest rates of infections for London, so I don't think visitors necessarily = danger.

I live in Falmouth and work in hospitality. It is absolutely heaving down here right now. People aren't distancing in the street and it's making me panicky. I know we haven't had a build up to the season like we normally would, but I am freaked out by how many people are here. I know we need tourists, that's fine, but they need to behave differently. They cannot behave like they would do normally.

I work in a restaurant, but haven't been to any pubs or eateries myself. I genuinely have no interest in doing so. I'm at work because I have to be. I've been enjoying drinks with friends outside, away from all the crowds.

We’re in Cornwall on holiday this week - where we are (north end of the south coast for want of a better, but still vague, description!) the overwhelming majority are being sensible - distancing observed, masks on in shops etc. No ill feeling as yet from any locals - or none that’s been obvious!! Was worried after some of the anti tourism stories that have run in the press but am so glad we came, it’s been great.

I live in Cornwall. Everyone is wearing masks in shops.
Local tourism spots are busy, but you just need to find the ‘locals’ beaches. A bit harder to get to and no cafe, but probably more beautiful and very quiet.
The moors and lakes are lovely here too.

We are in St Ives, we come a lot. It’s busy but probably not as busy in town as it usually is in August. Beaches definitely quieter and plenty of space and social distancing. Shops etc are very welcoming but strict limits on numbers of people in at a time, mask wearing required and hand sanitisers on most doors. It’s fine!

To PP who asked about the bus from the leisure centre, yes it is running

Why are people worried about busy streets? It is virtually impossible to catch coronavirus outdoors.

I've just come back from Cornwall, was there the day masks became mandatory. 99% of people WERE wearing them. The streets are busy but the shops are only allowing certain amounts of people in.

@CountessFrog ah thought that might be the case with those parking spaces, shame so many of them are empty at peak times of the year, plenty of people would pay good money to use one

DH had mentioned the road closures in the town, seems a sensible plan.

@sleepwhenidie thanks for letting me know about the bus, its nice to have an alternative to the hill sometimes

I am currently here on holiday. We have found it fantastic covid 19 wise. We have kept to open outdoor spaces like the eden project and heligan gardens, but they have all had times entries pre booked online meaning its very quiet, everyone has been SD, there has been hand sanitizer at all tourist places, we have been in a few food shops as we have been self catering and mask compliance is nearly 100%, and the beaches are pretty quiet too so easy to keep away from people. I have felt very calm and happy here. Maybe it's a bit more crowded in places like Looe and Liskeard but we stayed in a very small village and encountered basically nobody. I really don't see the reality of any of your concerns actually happening, thankfully.

For the person who accused me of scaremongering:

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cornwall-coronavirus-tourists-beaches-traffic-holiday-covid-staycation-a9649386.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1596287827

Uptick to 20 confirmed cases in the whole of Cornwall???
And some 37 year old Cornish woman on BBC news saying she was ‘scared’ to go to the shops because of tourists??? Did make me scoff, tbh.

Why are people worried about busy streets? It is virtually impossible to catch coronavirus outdoors

This. The chances of passing on Covid by simply walking past someone are minute. I think people are way over the top.