And I shall say it again. We are allowed out once a day for fresh air

[Borkins]

It's like there is competitive isolation or folk who think they know better than government guidelines.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/24/uk-sees-biggest-daily-rise-in-coronavirus-deaths-with-a-further-87

We're all aware of that it's horrendous it's a truly hideous virus, made dangerous by its vile sneakiness. It's the scariest thing in our lifetimes.

But sealing people in flats with closed windows for months on end will also lead to deaths. We need to listen to the leaders, follow their advice and be brave.

The worst things for me that are mendable are the awful pictures of the tube (these NHS staff in London need to be given cars and free parking somehow) and sorting the PPE situation in hospitals and care homes. I've got a car I can and would loan for this, we have 2 and nowhere to go.

I'm not going to rtft, i just wanted to say thanks op, had it not been for you saying it again i think i would have misssed it.

Freaky thread as always, not read all of it but it's odd that nobody has mentioned that govt hasn't let us exercise for fun - it is a fucking stressful situation, and exercise helps with mental health. That also saves lives.

@IrisAtwood the most vulnerable people, of which I am one, are under strict instructions not to leave the house. I imagine you don’t fall into this group if your Gp is telling you to go for walks (or if you do he/she is flouting government orders).

But sealing people in flats with closed windows for months on end will also lead to deaths

Nobody is saying that.
But you have to consider how many times you leave your home and how many of those times are necessary, particularly if going out involves risk for yourself and others.
Maybe every other day instead of every day. Maybe go for a walk and bring home your weekly shopping at the end.
Think that the numbers of infected in two weeks are the ones being infected now. The UK has a massive underestimation of the actual numbers based on the number of dead, and the largest cities will be the worst.

in other countries on lockdown there have been specific guidelines for this though, like no more than 400m from your house, which I think is perfectly sensible, easy to include in the advice and will stop everyone thinking they can drive wherever they want 'for fresh air' which is not remotely sensible given the situation.

Well we should not go to far away from our homes.
I live in Goodmayes and I have been going into nearby Romford the town which is a bus ride away and 5 minutes on the train to buy food at the Sainsburys there and at Marks And Spencers.

And one of my neighbors told me she went to Farm Foods in Ilford, another town nearby. The rules say we can go out as long as it's to buy food and essentials and medicines, but it does not say how far from our homes we can go.

But if for example I were to go to Centeral London or Southend and the Police did stop me, I think they would then question it as that's not near my home. So it's not advisable to go too far away from home incase you do get stopped by police which they can do.

I most certainly have been going to the park with my son. Not on the park equipment no ( as these things have all been taped off and I'm not stupid), but have played footy with my don for an hour in a massive field with nobody else walking by....other than the odd dog Walker who is on the opposite end. I will not change that as I'm adhering to guidelines and am sensible. If the field becomes busy, then clearly I wont go.

Son*

Oh and I dont have the pleasure of a garden!

So no, you are not allowed out once a day for "fresh air".

Well once a day is enough for me.

I don't have a car and cannot drive and it is a 15 minute walk to the train station from my home. So I don't want to go that more than once it would wear me out.

And I was going out once every few days anyway before this crisis started. So it no different from my normal routine I had before.

I go out get an item or 2 of food, bin bags or whatever I need. Have a little walk around then get the bus or train home again.

But Romford was deserted when I went out at 6PM evening.

And the toilets at the train station were closed as they are in the waiting room.

There was this silly notice that said:
Sorry the waiting room is closed due to guidelines about social distancing.

It was lucky the toilets in Sainsburys was still open or I would have had to pull my knickers down and go behind a wall or something.
As the pubs and Mc Donalds are now closed down so I can't use the toilets there anymore.

That's one thing that would stop me going out-NO TOILETS!
Because I cannot manage without those.
But then I did not like it anyway as Romford was deserted. I was the only one there save for a few other people.
Not much fun is it.

Missy do they not have shops within walking distance of your home?

I would absolutely not go on public transport unless it was necessary.

Going to work - unavoidable.

Bus / train to food shops when I have others nearer- not a chance

Fine, do your own research. Look at what other leaders are advising. Look at what the WHO is advising. Look at doctors in hospitals are asking.
Take a look at all the ways in which the virus can be transmitted.
See how it can be spread well before people develop symptoms and by people who never show symptoms.
See how long it can stay in surfaces.
See how many people have to stay in hospital and in what conditions.
Take a look at how fast it is spreading. Consider that the number of official cases in the UK are underestimated because not enough testing is being done.

Good points above.

Definitely don’t just stay in if you need a walk etc. Absolutely go out once if you are in a flat, you need air and vitamin D. More importantly your dc do. But if where you are going is really busy consider the risk and think about how to lower it.

Darn no bold

Lweji can you still making up your own rules. We need to take advice from BJ who is continuously being updated by scientific experts not a random MNer who thinks she knows better.

It’s exercise every day. Driving to les crowded more isolated spots is fine and can be more sensible. People can also go out for shopping as infrequently as possible, for medical issues and key worker work.

Stop making up your own rules as a) you don’t know the reasons for the advice b) it confuses everybody and c) it just gives some a reason to be unpleasant.

Just let everybody follow government advice.

I think a big part of the problem is too many people are unable to comprehend that another poster might live in an area that looks very different to theirs.

So in this thread we had a poster assure another that she could exercise by walking or cycling along her own road, clearly without stopping to consider whether this would actually be possible whilst still meeting the 2 metre rule.

Then there was a thread yesterday where people were saying those with gardens shouldn't go out for exercise at all because they have the opportunity to get it in their gardens and should prioritise those in flats instead. I can see the sense in that if you're in a very densely populated area, but where I live it's quite sprawling and everyone has a garden. So it would be completely pointless. What is sensible and legitimate is going to look very different depending on what your area is like.

great post vegetable*

no one can understand another's situation, or risk assess for someone else.

It's the cities that still have the crowds on public transport etc (as seen on tv) - there is no one for miles where i live yet i can go to work in liverpool and see groups of people playing football.

Why do you think the govt has specified exerciae? We aren't exactly a traditonally fit nation. They've done it for people's mental health, because they recognise how hard this is going to be. Therefore do anything that you can to exercise however you wish, remaining responsible and practicing social distancing.

Driving to a quiet woodland area for your walk this week might be the difference between coping and not coping when this lockdown is inevitably extended.

Very true vegetable. Yesterday we walked for half an hour and saw 2 teenagers together, one woman walking her dog and another with bags of shopping. That was it. Looking out my window now, nobody out at all.

It does depend on where you are. If there’s load of space then no issue (for one a day).

I was outside all day yeaterday. Went to see and feed horses and ride them (animal welfare noone else can do it)
Walked dogs on own land
Walked dogs later for 1.5 hours on public land - official exercise
Walked around village leaving leaflets and veg boxes (vulnerable people)
Sat in garden reading
Gardening
Helped dd wash a horse
Went to see feed and bring in horses for night

Saw a few people through their windows or in their gardens, apart from that just my own family.

It may become an issue. I've just seen a neighbour putting bikes onto his car. They're heading as a family to a local beauty spot as he heard on tv last night that it's ok to drive to where you want to do your daily exercise....

You can tell the people who would have revelled in being the Blockwarten in Nazi Germany.

Yeah, the posters who are gutted that lockdown didn’t involve welding people inside their homes with police snipers ready to shoot them if they crack a window. (While the posters themselves happily frolic in their massive houses and gardens.)

MN has always had a big problem with tunnel vision. MN tends to skew pretty middle class, and there are loads of posters who genuinely can’t comprehend that not everyone lives in a big house with a garden in a lovely MC town somewhere without too many people and with lots of shops around.

The fact many people don’t have a shop within walking distance, or the opposite live in a crowded city where the pavements are still packed, or that some people live in small flats or bedsits with no floor space to exercise, is alien to them. Ditto mental health conditions.

This thread seems a bit more rational than others. I live alone, and am communicating with friends via text and WhatsApp. I am going to meet my friend for our usual Friday coffee, via video chat to try and maintain some semblance of normality.

I live in a rural area (small town about 12000 people), and have a dog. I got up at 06:00 this morning, and headed straight for the park. There was one other dog walker there over the far side about 300 metres away. I came straight home, and was out for about 30 minutes in total.

I intend to take the dog out again this evening to the other park about 250 metres away. It was virtually empty yesterday evening. We will be out for 20 minutes.

Is this completely unreasonable?