AS parts of the North-East were put under local lockdown measures, there was still confusion over the guidance.

County Durham along with Newcastle, Sunderland, North and South Tyneside and Northumberland were all put under new measures at 12am Friday September 18.

The measures include the closure of pubs and bars at 10pm, restaurants to be table service only, and households are not to mix with those outside of their ‘bubble.’

The Northern Echo:

Resident and business owner in Durham, Norman Longstaff said: “I know the rules they have put in place about the restaurants and the rules of six. People have to try and get around all the complications the best they can.

“There is always going to be confusion caused by complications, you would have to be a genius to legislate something that covers every possibility.”

The Northern Echo:

Street performer Phil Corrigan said: “I am not really sure on the new rules, it’s a mixed bag, with a lot of mixed messages. I don’t understand the pub rule, if people have to leave the pub at 10pm then they will just start drinking earlier but that doesn’t matter to the virus.

“The fact that people can go to the pubs and still mix there just baffles me.

“As for the city itself the people have been slowly coming back but its only about 70 per cent of the traffic that it was pre-lockdown and this probably won’t help.”

The Northern Echo:

Durham University student Gabriel Beecroft said: “I think it’s a bit contradictory spending all day at work mixing with people, yet I can’t meet up with my family. They are also trying to curb non-essential travel on public transport which raises the questions of what is essential.

“People see that the pubs and bars are open and think that they must want us to go in there and spend money.

The Northern Echo:

County Durham resident John Inkson said: “I don’t know anyone who has had the virus, but I think a lot of people are confused about the new guidance.

“It’s all a bit willy-nilly and I think in a fortnight or so they will lift the lockdown and we will be back to where we were before, these changes seem to come and go.”

However, tourists have not been put off visiting the area despite the new measures.

Brian Stephens who were on a visit to Durham from Cheshire said: “ We’ve heard about the local lockdown with pubs and bars closing at 10pm. We are holidaying here but I don’t think it will affect our trip too much.

“I think it’s the same as the North West, everybody is confused but most people do what they are told. The message would get a across to people better if it was communicated better.”