As Wales reopens, recent spike in Wrexham coronavirus cases has residents concerned
In a pandemic, fear of the unknown often determines many people's view of what is actually going on.
Perhaps, then, it is little surprise that even though the public health authorities say the latest outbreak of cases in Wrexham is under control, many residents there still feel trepidation about the opening up of indoor businesses this week.
Less than a week ago, on July 29th, it was reported that there were '60-70' patients in Wrexham's hospital with confirmed Covid-19.
The same day, a further 15 people tested positive for coronavirus in the town - nearly half of all the new reported cases across Wales.
Yet Wrexham is reopening at the same rate as the rest of Wales. Officials say there is no need for specific, stricter covid lockdown rules for the town - but that hasn't stopped many locals from being cautious.
For the first time in four months, the bingo in Wrexham restarted when the doors finally reopened at 10am on Monday.
"I'm a bit apprehensive but I've missed coming here because the friends are amazing and the staff and the company is lovely", one woman told ITV Cymru Wales.
Another returning bingo player summed up those emotions by stating simply: "staying in the house, going absolutely bonkers - if you're going to get it you're going to get it".
The bingo hall manager said her team had done all they can to ensure that was not the case. "People do want to return to some of the things they enjoyed before and I think we've taken a lot of steps to make sure that can be done in a safe way", Natalie Holland said.
Public Health Wales (PHW) says it is as safe for businesses in Wrexham to reopen indoor spaces as it is anywhere else in Wales.
A mobile unit in the town last week tested over 1,000 people, but led to just a "handful" of new cases, according to the Outbreak Control Team Chair, Dr Christopher Williams of Public Health Wales.
On Tuesday PHW confirmed only 11 people tested positive after 1,400 people came forward for testing.
"In most of those cases we are able to link them back to chains of transmission that we already knew were happening", Dr Williams told ITV News, "so it's been a really reassuring picture coming out of that.
"It was a little bit of a surprise. We expected to see more community transmission and the fact that we haven't is really, really reassuring".
And yet if you walk through Wrexham town centre, there is a large number of people wearing masks and people talking about being more cautious of the reopening.
"Although Wales doesn't have a compulsory mask policy, I am seeing many more people with masks on - myself included", one man told ITV News.
A business owner in the town said: "to get everything ready, we wanted to let the dust settle, get everything clean and safe and ready to operate on Wednesday".
Plaid Cymru's Shadow Health Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth MS says more should be done in the town to tackle the recent spike.
"I've been saying for months now that the Welsh Government should take a firmer line on the wearing of face masks and make it mandatory in indoor areas where it's more difficult to socially distance".
He says if ministers in Cardiff Bay do not want to make it mandatory across the country, it should be done in places where there are clusters of cases. "I think at the very least it should be mandatory to wear face masks in the Wrexham area", Mr Iorwerth said, "It's not the be-all-and-end-all - masks aren't going to stop the pandemic - it's just that they can be very helpful as part of that armoury".
The Welsh Government says its senior medical and scientific advisors do not see that as necessary. Instead, it has encouraged mask wearing in places like shops, and is enforcing the wearing of face coverings on public transport.
There is support from many people in Wrexham for the Welsh Government's cautious approach to loosening the lockdown.
"I feel that we're being better protected and better looked after by not moving things on too quickly", one resident said.
Others have simply reached the end of their patience. "This is the first time I've come into town [since lockdown] because I've had to self isolate", another resident said.
"I can't stay in forever. If people go by the rules, wash their hands, things like that - I think that will help".
How far, how fast, how much of a town can you reopen, when its facing a coronavirus spike? That's the rhetorical question being answered differently in England compared to Wales, and the true solution may not be clear until the pandemic has passed.