Going for a walk when people in the vicinity do not maintain social distance

[Newhouse76]

The advice is to stay at home but that going out for a walk is permitted.

DD and I went out for a walk this afternoon - we are ten minutes away from one of the large parks in London.

The park was mobbed and you would have thought it was bank holiday! Lots of people including adults with very small children not maintaining social distance including a many runners breathing on me when running past!

I feel that I do need to get out for a short
walk everyday if I can as I suffer from anxiety. I may need to stop this. Is there a chance of catching coronavirus when momentarily walking past someone in a park?

The chances are probably slim to none, surely.

that sounds crazy - almost irresponsible of people to do that. Is there anywhere else you could walk around? Even residential streets or anywhere that doesn't have crowds? You are right to be cautious.

Stay off the paths

We were tempted with walk along the coast today but fear that everyone would follow suit had put us off.

I was pleased to see that at our local (enormous) park today, all families were avoiding the playground areas and sticking to the fields and wide walkways.

I came on to post about my annoyance with the runners. Last weekend we walked through our local park on the way to buy food - runners seemed to be getting as close as fucking possible on their way by, gasping and puffing.

It seems to have been manic in a lot of places today. It was here. The National Trust had to close its free parkland offer because it was so busy that they couldn’t maintain social distancing. Chester Zoo had to do the same. Our town and parks were full. Weirdly, the retail park was pretty empty when we drove past and that’s usually empty at the weekend...

I’m hoping people get used to it a bit more and stay in tomorrow, otherwise we’re not really isolating at all.

We went out for a walk in a remote place yesterday. Sat to have a snack in an empty field-type area. Another family walk through the field, about 40 metres away from us. All good except their kids, aged probably 10-11ish decided to wander right over to where we were to see what we were eating??!! I mean, they didn't hang around or cough over us or anything, but I'd have been telling my kids not to be so damn nosy for a start, last alone the social distancing thing. They were definitely closer than 2m to us. Very weird (and annoying).

I thought that you needed to be within 6 feet for 15 minutes to be at significant risk, and a fleeting approach of less than 6 feet shouldn’t be a problem.

Today (here at least) was such a lovely day, and it is very early on in everyone's 'good intentions'. I think it will settle down very quickly..

You don't need to go to a park though - just walk around your block or around your local streets if you want to go further.

Unless they actively cough onto your face, or stand right next to you for longer than 15 minutes, you're fine.

Besides unless you are elderly or at risk, you most likely would have no or minor symptoms even if you did catch it.

I know on MN some chicken littles are acting like all you have to do is glance out the window at someone infected and you'll deffo catch it (and acting like it has a 100% fatality rate, which is a separate issue) but that just isn't reality.

I am fortunate enough to be support staff for the best looking and cutest dog in the whole wide world. Doing our social distancing park walk today 2 people rubbed their potentially covid riddled hands all over her......how to stop them?

We went for a walk in the countryside today. We picked a very quiet walk that we've done before and never normally see anyone. We spotted a family in front of us so we hung back to give them space, turns out they were having a picnic actually in the middle of the path!

Don’t worry it’s forecast to snow later this week - midlands area. Everyone will be indoors at the first sight of a flake.

Unfortunately I think you’ll have to avoid the park and walk somewhere much more quiet and isolated like residential streets. Unfortunately everyone will have the same idea as you and visit the park as more and more public places close. It’s particularly pertinent if you live near somewhere iconic like Richmond park (or wherever)

I’m sure if we go into official lockdown, distance guidelines will be widely established. Right now it’s a free for all as there’s many people who couldn’t care less and are continuing as normal.