I think she's right for once (
)
While the government keep highlighting 4 reasons we are allowed to leave our homes, the actual regulations don't say that. They say we must not leave our homes without a reasonable excuse and include a non-exhaustive list of 13 examples of reasonable excuses. The 13th reason is:
(m) to avoid injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm.
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/made
We are at the end of winter and most of the population will be deficient in vitamin D to a greater or lesser extent. Those with dark skin are at much greater risk. Vitamin D is vital for our ability to fight off infections as well as preventing many other physical and mental health problems. We're in this for the long haul and we need to do what we can to avoid creating other additional health problems because the NHS does not have the means to cope.
Going out to get sunshine on skin in order to boost vitamin D is a reasonable way of avoiding illness and so falls under (m) and access to sunshine should not depend on whether you have a garden or not, or whether you are capable of keeping moving for the entire time you are out. I have read distressing accounts today of people with mobility issues being harassed by the police because they can only manage a walk with frequent sit-down rests. Are wheelchair and mobility scooter users allowed out? infants in prams and buggies? The ban on sitting down while outside is complete overreach.
Under the current lockdown conditions everybody should be allowed out once a day for general health reasons whether that's exercise or just sitting for a bit in the sun and fresh air. If the regulations don't allow for that then they need amending.
Footage from Richmond Bridge this weekend was shocking but I have seen nothing justifying the closure of Brockwell park. 3000 people in such a vast area over the course of a day in no way compromises social distancing. People's 'crime' was sitting down but this is stupid when you think about it. If you are walking, running or cycling you will potentially come into contact with far more people than if you stay in one place, far away from others.
Imagine you live in Lambeth in a high-rise north-facing flat without even a balcony. Imagine you have dark skin and struggle to get enough vitamin D in the UK even in a normal summertime. Imagine you have mobility issues and can just about manage to walk slowly to the nearest bench in Brockwell park. Should you not be allowed to do that and sit for a while, getting some sun and air?
This is a class issue and a disability issue and a race issue.
We will get stronger lockdown conditions because we are failing to prevent the spread of this virus but that is not the fault of people sunbathing or just sitting down in parks at large distances from each other.
It's because we gave up on finding cases and tracing contacts at an early stage.
It's because we have not closed down non-essential industry.
It's because we expect people with symptoms to 'self-isolate' with the rest of their household and for only 7 days.
Whatever lockdown conditions we impose will just buy us a bit of time, that's all. If we don't use that time to get to grips with finding and properly isolating cases, tracing contacts and properly isolating contacts, then it will be time wasted. It's the only strategy that works anywhere, whether a country has lockdown conditions or not. We can do a helluva lot of this even while we don't have enough tests - WHO reckon that the vast majority of infections are passed on by people with symptoms.
Just flattening the curve and reducing pressure on the NHS will save some lives but actually not that many compared with if we get to grips with preventing transmission. We have already seen just under 5000 deaths, including some very young people and including frontline workers. Nobody so far has died because there wasn't a ventilator available.