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Original poster

Exercise could be banned - Matt Hancock

703 replies

LittleRen · 05/04/2020 10:44

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52172035

"Matt Hancock told the BBC's Andrew Marr that the government would "take action" if further measures are needed to bring the coronavirus under control.

It comes after reports of groups of people gathering in parks during sunny weather this weekend."

So do we think this will happen - normally this is how it goes, the threat comes, and a week later it's reality. It's a shame that people still flouted the rules this weekend :(

I can't see a thread on this already but please let me know if there is one!!

OP posts:
daisypond · 05/04/2020 12:51

There needs to be provision for people in flats to get out
I have relatives in Italy who live in flats. They are not allowed out to exercise.

Redwoodmaz · 05/04/2020 12:53

I think we will be similar to Spain soon - only allowed out with a permit, one person in a car at any time, etc etc
All because of the dickheads who don't take notice of the guidance which is for the good OF US ALL!!!

catsandlavender · 05/04/2020 12:53

This would be so, so hard. I find it stressful leaving the house initially but usually relax once I’ve been out for ten minutes. I don’t know how I’d cope being stuck inside all day, in our one bedroom flat with no garden. I’d follow the rules but Jesus Christ, I hate to think what state I’d be in by the end of it

cornish009 · 05/04/2020 12:53

As I said on the other thread if we cannot go out to exercise then our son is going into residential care. I know we wouldn't cope with the level of aggression in that situation and the continuous self injurious behaviour. I know we won't be the only family doing that

I am a foster carer for teenagers with issues like your son, so I do understand. I also have an adult son at home with autism who is extremely frustrated with the changes this has bought to his life. However, as my husband is on the extremely vulnerable list and has to be shielded for at least three months then we all have to stay home with no exceptions. And my job is to do my very best for everyone. However, my understanding is that it would be very difficult for your son to go into residential care at the moment, because his moving from your home to another would potentially put others at risk, both during the movement and at the new property. The residential care homes I know are in lockdown, as are the adult ones that my son receives help from. And as foster carers we have to protect the children we currently care for, and the addition of another would put them at risk, so although we have another bedroom for one more young person it will remain empty (and the same would apply even if my husband was not having to sheild). So I think that may be very difficult for you...though I promise I do undertstand and wish you well.

Reading this thread and others I realise everyone's personal situation is different - be it children needing fresh air/dogs/need for exercise/mental health etc. And although the selfish part of me wishes for a complete lockdown in the hope that will mean not so long shielding for my husband, and my longing to hug my grandson, I also know my families needs are no greater and more important than anone elses situation I have read. So we will continue to stay home and everyone else will do what they think is best too. But I do have to say living in the country as I do I see perhaps triple the amount of walkers, cyclists, dog walkers than is the norm, and many of them several times a day. But perhaps I am just noticing them more.

It amuses me though that suddenly every other poster has nearby woods to wallk the children/dogs in...where are all these mythical woods?

headispounding · 05/04/2020 12:53

The news reports have started talking about an exercise lock down too. There's definitely a usual pattern: warning shot from government, media stories, people get used to the possibility to when government announce it, it's less of a shock.

missclimpson · 05/04/2020 12:54

My son and family have been shut in their flat in Spain for over three weeks. Eldest child has ASD. It is hard, but they are coping. Son says now that the children seem to have forgotten about going outside. They do regular exercise in the flat.

SansaSnark · 05/04/2020 12:55

@SnoozyLou I agree that sunbathing in a park clearly isn't what people should be doing right now!

However, stopping that doesn't need a tightening of the rules- it's already not following the current rules.

I think the guidance should be made explicitly clear that "exercise" means you are pretty much continuously moving, rather than staying in one place for prolonged periods, and explain why!

However, when Matt Hancock stands in the official press briefing on Friday and can't even say "no, people shouldn't be having picnics" when asked outright, it's easy to understand why people are confused.

LastTrainEast · 05/04/2020 12:55

Maybe we should turn it around. Imagine if they said "We need unpaid volunteers to go out and be infected." Grin

You'd have threads like "No way am I going out there. They should pay me" That kind of thing sometimes works with difficult children after all.

MarshaBradyo · 05/04/2020 12:56

LastTrain yep

PanicOnTheStreets85 · 05/04/2020 12:56

I agree with @Crackerofdoom. I am in a south west city and our parks aren't busy. It sounds like this is mainly a London problem.

I realise that London's in a difficult position, because there are so many people in a small area and so many flats without gardens, so I don't know what a viable solution is for London (if indeed there is any), but the rest of the country shouldn't suffer just because the London parks are too crowded.

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 05/04/2020 12:56

I think we’ll end up with the 1km rule- DD4 has ADHD and anxiety and runs daily, luckily we have a garden. We live rurally; DD says she’s never seen so many new runners...

Perhaps this is because the gyms are now shut, and people who would normally have gone to the gym and used the kit there are now finding that their only outlet is running? Certainly that's what is happening with my lodger.

Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons · 05/04/2020 12:57

I would HATE not to be allowed a walk but if they have to do it they should ban anyone lucky enough to have a garden first (includes us) - I can see a tower block from our back garden & I worry so much for people living there under lockdown.

Dances · 05/04/2020 12:57

sansasnark
Totally agree that the narrative that the public is to blame is starting to be pushed.

We need to push back on this. The government has failed in its primary role which is to protect the public. They have known about this for some time and failed to take the appropriate actions.

mindproject · 05/04/2020 12:57

I have complied with all the bullshit so far. I will not comply with this. I will just exercise on my way to and from work and exercise on my way too and from the supermarket. They can't prove where I've been if I don't have my phone on me. Until they nanochip me with the virus I will not allow them to take away my basic human rights.

I'm not going near anyone. I don't even know any old people.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 05/04/2020 12:57

Maybe we should turn it around. Imagine if they said "We need unpaid volunteers to go out and be infected." grin

Brilliant. You must have teenagers at home so you have refined your strategy for coping with stubborn buggers.

LilacTree1 · 05/04/2020 12:57

“ Imagine if they said "We need unpaid volunteers to go out and be infected.”

I’ll do it. If it keeps hold of civil liberties for others, I’ll do it.

Lucked · 05/04/2020 12:58

I was really surprised when Peru and Panama quarantined men and women on different days but if we applied it to exercise then we would reduce those on the streets by 50% every day. Also lots of those out sunbathing and chilling out on the grass seemed to be couples.

Polly02 · 05/04/2020 12:58

The government is turning us against each other. It’s a clever way of avoiding criticism themselves. All people are doing is blame each other.

We’re now to blame each other for this full lockdown instead of the slowness of government to act in the first place, initial herd immunity strategy that was suddenly binned, sending kids to school for so long, crowded tube, Cheltenham, Liv v Madrid, NHS in a broken down state before we’ve even started, lack of PPE and equipment- the list goes on and on

Locking down will go nowhere to undo damage government failing has already caused.

mindproject · 05/04/2020 12:58

*with the vaccine.

MyMagicStars · 05/04/2020 12:58

@AvocadosBeforeMortgages I don’t think so- our village is very remote and we know most of the people! A lot seem to run down the windy country lanes with loud music playing on their headphones, when I drove to the shop it was quite scary- the roads are being treated like pavements!

ThusSpoke · 05/04/2020 12:59

*Maybe we should turn it around. Imagine if they said "We need unpaid volunteers to go out and be infected." grin

You'd have threads like "No way am I going out there. They should pay me" That kind of thing sometimes works with difficult children after all*

Absolutely!

EffieIsATrinket · 05/04/2020 12:59

It's only partly about the NHS coping though.

'Protect the NHS' is just shorthand for 'making sure everyone has access to basic healthcare, food and the semblance of a safe, civilised society'. In other words the top tier of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

If we favour freedom to exercise more than once a day over protecting the basic safety of frontline workers without adequate protection then we can't be surprised if they revolt.

480Widdio · 05/04/2020 13:00

I lived in Italy for years,so follow their news.

People are not adhering to the lockdown,same as they aren’t here.

Naples was busy Friday,nowhere near normal but the markets were open,Police were wandering about,not sending anybody home.Genoa Friday was busy.

It will be the same here,it won’t be possible to lock us down completely.

Lookingforwardtomyeastereggs · 05/04/2020 13:00

What I don't get about all of this is, they're looking like banning outdoor exercise, because a few are breaking the rules.

Meanwhile there are lots of non essential businesses still running.

My dh is still working, only a small part of what he does is essential, and could be done from home on an emergency call out rota. But they're still running, no proper social distancing in place, with people still crammed into offices and workshops, no ppe, and many of them are still popping to the local shops to buy their lunches even to buy cakes because it's someone's birthday.

justasking111 · 05/04/2020 13:01

Saw a picture in London yesterday, cyclists, all middle aged men, greying beards, stuffed like sausages into their lycra.

I feel for their partners who are probably frazzled from wiping door handles, light switches, sluicing down the shopping, handling bored offspring. Men!!