This is what Blackpool Gazette readers think about easing the lockdown

We are now 50 days into the lockdown, and readers of the Blackpool Gazette have had their say on how and when restrictions should be eased.

Our lockdown survey, published across this title and 150 others across the UK last week, has had a great response.

It gives an insight into how the coronavirus crisis has impacted people in Blackpool and what they would like to see happen in the coming weeks and months.

In total we asked readers 25 questions on their attitude towards the lockdown.

Of these questions five focused on how lockdown restrictions might be eased - and today we can reveal how people in Blackpool answered.

The majority of Blackpool Gazette readers who completed our survey said they felt very concerned about going to public places such as shops, bars, restaurants and cinemas once lockdown is eased, 39% to be exact.

By comparison, on a national level, 41% answered ‘slightly concerned’, 37% answered ‘very concerned’, 12% answered ‘not very concerned’ and 10% answered ‘not at all concerned’.

Of those who took part in the survey, a majority of Blackpool Gazette readers said visits to family and friends should be given the highest level of priority when restrictions are eased, 61% answering in that way, whilst 47% felt more mourners at funerals was highest priority.

We also asked people which of the following - garden centres, DIY stores, fast food restaurants, takeaway coffee chains and electrical stores - they would be most keen to visit if they were reopened in the near future, with social distancing measures in place.

Most respondents said they were keen to visit garden centres, with electrical stores receiving the smallest number of votes.

When asked how well they thought the UK Government had handled the coronavirus crisis, 17% of Blackpool Gazette readers said ‘very well’, 29% said ‘quite well’, 24% said ‘not very well’, while 28% stated ‘not well at all’.

The national average, by comparison, was 12% for ‘very well’, 34% for ‘quite well’, 24% for ‘not very well’ and 28% for ‘not at all well’.

When asked how clear the UK Government’s lockdown guidance had been so far, the majority of Blackpool Gazette readers who took part in the survey responded very clear - 31% - with 24% viewing it as not very clear.

The national average on this issue was: 30% said ‘very clear’, 35% said ‘quite clear’, 22% said ‘not very clear’ and 14% said ‘not at all clear’.

During the course of this week we will be publishing more results of what local people had to say in our lockdown survey.