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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:
UYScuti · 05/04/2020 11:19

Those police officers we don't have will be really
as far as I know levels of crime generally have dropped so police do now have more time to monitor people's behaviour in relation to the lockdown guidelines

Puppywithattitude · 05/04/2020 11:19

I 'm not sure any dog owner would disagree that kids need outdoor exercise but they can do star jumps , Joe wicks or whatever the bloody hell his name is inside a house.
A high energy dog needs to run and run..

mencken · 05/04/2020 11:20

if having a dog is an excuse for a long walk that really will be insult to injury. I hope they are not exempted. People matter more.

sadly it is coming. People don't get exercise not socialise. So they all sat in groups in the park and we are all now going to be imprisoned for their stupidity.

daisypond · 05/04/2020 11:20

And what is wrong with sunbathing if they keep a 'safe distance'.
Because you are not meant to be outside at all unless for one of the permitted reasons. Sunbathing isn’t exercise or work, etc.

GabsAlot · 05/04/2020 11:20

@mumoftinies you know it wouldnt be endless amount of fines you'd be arrested eventually

echt · 05/04/2020 11:21

Far easier for Hancock to blame individuals than the government's shit progress on testing.

That is what this is about. Oh look, a windmill.

vanillandhoney · 05/04/2020 11:21

I don't think it will be banned completely, but I do think they'll say you have to stay within a certain distance of your home, the same as in France.

UYScuti · 05/04/2020 11:23

High energy dog needs to run and run
And the rest of humans are supposed to sacrifice our opportunity to exercise safely so that people's dogs can 'run and run'
We are supposed to care about the happiness of dogs a time like this?

SnoozyLou · 05/04/2020 11:24

And what is wrong with sunbathing if they keep a 'safe distance'.
VitaminD is good for physical and mental health.Or is it fear of 'burdening' the NHS with sunburn cases?

Using that rationale, what's wrong with picnicking too? Or fishing? Or kayaking? And why does it have to be just for an hour? And if my friends are all self-isolating, surely it's ok to meet up with them too? And I haven't seen Great Aunt Mo since last Tuesday, so I'll just stop by there too, but I'll just talk to her though the window - that's ok too right? I really need to pop to the shops too. I mean, technically that means I've been out 4 times today, but it's only me doing it so it's ok.

Frenchfemme · 05/04/2020 11:24

Further the my previous post, in France we have to complete and carry a form whenever we leave our property, stating amongst other things where we live, why we’re out (shopping, exercise, medical, work etc) and the date and time we left home. Penalties for contravention start at a fine of €135 and go up for further infringements, up to and including prison. You must be out alone, or in a family group domiciled at the same address. Social distancing to be observed of course.

maddiemookins16mum · 05/04/2020 11:24

My friend in Italy was issued a permit, she could only walk the dog once a day and within something like 300 metres of her house. Everything else was banned (apart from essential shopping/medicine).

midgebabe · 05/04/2020 11:24

You can't test if you can get the kits and labs

RingtheBells · 05/04/2020 11:25

I don’t think they could stop you walking to work or to get shopping essentials though, I might SORN my car as I won’t need it for now, I need the walking exercise more

cologne4711 · 05/04/2020 11:25

Matt Hancock should listen to common sense, not fake news.

People sunbathing in parks are clearly not "going out for exercise". So why ban exercise. Deal with the people going out to sunbathe.

Sunbathing is stupid because it causes skin cancer, but that's a separate point.

As for the "3000" people in Brockwell park - firstly how do they know there were that many and secondly, were they all there at the exact same time?

TestBank · 05/04/2020 11:25

Domestic violence and online crime are soaring, but you are right, those don't usually count and the police don't bother so why change the habit of a lifetime

There are, however, genuinely very few police officers. How many have you seen since this started? I live in a city. I have seen zero.

UYScuti · 05/04/2020 11:25

Surely 'high energy' is just a euphemism for badly trained and annoying when it comes to dogs?

SarahTancredi · 05/04/2020 11:25

I think if they ban it they will lose the crowd tbh

Especially as we are really no further into having any kind if solution or plan to get people back to.working or education.

Uts bad enough we had having to do this on blind faith it will help. Take exercise away and everyones go na lose it completely.

Haffiana · 05/04/2020 11:25

My brother lives in France, they have to fill out a form to allow one person from the house for food shopping. Plus they have to say specifically what they getting. If they are stopped and they aren't doing what they are supposed to it's an instant hefty fine. There are checkpoints and road blocks everywhere. He too has a dog and they don't have a garden, they can go out the front to let the dog go to the toilet, that's it. They've been that way for weeks now.

These are the actual rules in France about exercise and about dogs:

"brief trips, limited to an hour a day and no more than one kilometre from the home, either for an individual physical purpose (..), either to a walk together with people of the same household, or to fill the needs of animals."

Further clarified by French Govt:

"All outdoor physical activity - be it to exercise yourself or your dog - must happen in you own area, not further than one kilometre from your home address."

"You are not allowed to be outside for more than one hour."

"Before stepping out the door you must write down the time on your mandatory form. Again, the rule here is the same for dog owners as for anyone wishing to go for a quick run - the government wants as few people as possible out of their homes at all times to give the virus fewer chances to spread."

echt · 05/04/2020 11:25

You can't test if you can get the kits and labs

The UK government knew about CV19 months ago. Like so many others, they did fuck all.

Branster · 05/04/2020 11:26

I would rather take the fine.
I didn’t even think of it like that. I suppose it depends on how high the fine is. They’d probably be lots of people who are OK with the odd £100 fine. But if the fine was £3000, that would be a different attitude.
In some countries the fines are very, very high. It was the only way to try and get people to listen.
In all fairness, our rules have been very relaxed compared to a lot of other countries. And they were also adopted fairly late. Lots of people particularly in bigger cities throughout the world live in flats. A bigger proportion than in the UK.
It really isn’t ideal or easy especially with young children but I would never feel devastated because of more stringent measures.
It might not work for everyone but my own strategy has always been to think of people who had to go to war or labour or concentration camps, or were prisoners of war who were forced to endure extreme conditions and deprivations. The stories of survivors are heartbreaking and inspirational in the way the human nature can get through real hardship. If these people demonstrated such courage and determination to survive, we can certainly manage to stay indoors with running water and internet if we need to. A wider perspective on things, both geographically and historically, does help as a coping mechanism.

missclimpson · 05/04/2020 11:26

I am In France and I think having to fill out the form every time does make you more cautious. The form has to be dated and signed and the departure time added. We do our permitted "1km from the house, once a day, for one hour" exercise most days and DH goes shopping once a week. Apart from that we don't go out. Everyone knows that the likelihood of being stopped by the gendarmes and fined is high. It makes a difference.

Mintjulia · 05/04/2020 11:26

I am responsible, I've been to a shop once in 14 days. I've been out for exercise carefully once a day with or sometimes without my son. I totally support the govt and the police up to this point.

But I will break the law intentionally for the first time in my life if going for a solitary run at 6am in a rural region, where I see no-one, is made unlawful.

The govt has to carry public opinion with them. They may need to regulate when people can exercise but locking people down 24/7 will be counter productive.

ssd · 05/04/2020 11:26

Going for a walk is like 2 weeks in Barbados for me right now, something I plan and look forward to. Even though its just round the same boring streets, I treat it like a treat!!!
Take it away and I'd go daft. But if it's the only way to get on top of this I'd accept it like anyone else.

Sockwomble · 05/04/2020 11:27

I'd takes fines or arrest over being attacked all day.

vanillandhoney · 05/04/2020 11:27

He too has a dog and they don't have a garden, they can go out the front to let the dog go to the toilet, that's it. They've been that way for weeks now

That's not the case in France at all Confused

You can go out for an hour, upto a km away from your home. So yes, you may only be able to walk around the block five times but you can still do more than just let the dog out the toilet.

Italy and Spain are the countries where you can only let them out to toilet.