Will they ban Meeting one person for Excercise?

[likeamillpond]

The area i takee my daily walk isnt very safe and it feels safer to walk in a pair.
I'm really hoping they don't stop it.
I know they have to do what it takes to bring infections down and I will always comply, with the rules but I'm crossing fingers that they won't change the excercise rule.

IDepending on where a person lives, it could be unsafe for some single people to be out walking and excercising their own.

What difference does it make? I mean actually, in terms of virus transmission? If I meet a friend for a walk and chat and stay 2m apart, how is that more risky than meeting a friend for a run?

It's not more risky. The problem is that many people who meet a friend for a walk and a chat don't stay 2m apart because they naturally gravitate towards each other so they can hear what the other one is seeing. And the closer you are, the more risky it gets.

Like just about every restriction, if people were following it properly, it would be absolutely fine to leave it.

Maybe that is who the police need to clamp down on
The police really do NOT need to clamp down on it. As a pp says outdoor exercise has not been identified as an activity where virus transmission is taking place.
The police should redirect their law-enforcement activities to enforcing the law on mask-wearing or which open businesses are essential.

They need to give restrictions a chance to bed in and take effect

Agreed, we haven't given these restrictions enough time yet, it was never going to drop numbers overnight.

I personally really hope they don't, or at least not yet, ban this. I have seen a scary number of missing persons on social media, 4 of which have now been found dead just in my local area alone. People's MH is important too and it is being hugely affected by this.

By all means police should enforce 2m distance, move people stood chatting along etc... But there does need to be some balance to help those who really need this contact.

Maybe that is who the police need to clamp down on
I think the police have FAR better things to be doing with their time.

No they have identified that it is a lifeline for lonely people and I think it would be perceived as to cruel to ban it they are trying to scare people into not abusing it. Along with the rumors about scrapping support bubbles I emailed my local MP to say what a lifeline both of these things are at the moment and the impression I got from the reply is that they wouldn’t remove support bubbles (since has been confirmed) and that they wouldn’t be removing the exercise rule.

Oh yeah Katie, like all those confirmations of Christmas and schools that stayed firm... 🤨

I hope not. But I don't think it's very likely (and it would also be very hard to enforce).

@PotentPangolin

Maybe that is who the police need to clamp down on The police really do NOT need to clamp down on it. As a pp says outdoor exercise has not been identified as an activity where virus transmission is taking place. The police should redirect their law-enforcement activities to enforcing the law on mask-wearing or which open businesses are essential.

I think you've misread my post! I'm actually in agreement with you. I'm getting annoyed at people saying we should ban people from meeting 1 person outdoors just because a few people stretch that to meet more than 1!

I think they will, as PP says Wales implemented this rule in mid December.

@ChocOrange1

Maybe that is who the police need to clamp down on I think the police have FAR better things to be doing with their time.

Exactly!

It's a shame if it comes to that, but from what I see, it may have to, sadly. DD's birthday fell during Lockdown Version 1.0. Not for a moment did we consider an outdoor picnic with her buddies. Roll on January 2021 and her friend had a picnic birthday party last week. 4 kids. 4 adults. Who knows what their habits have been, what their Christmases were like? I don't know. And having been through the worst experience with DH on a CPAP in ICU for 10 days (not to mention the hell on earth Home Experience of Covid in the days before he was admitted), I wouldn't mess around, just to be safe. I think DH's bout has scared the shit enough out of me realise to the bone that rules are there for a reason... rules we have followed as a family, just to add. But DH is a frontliner and did get Covid via patient contact. So, his risk was always going to be higher because of that.

The risk outside is small and, especially while it’s so dark in the evenings, I feel safer going for a walk with a friend.

The lack of routine in lockdown is terrible for my mental health. I schedule a couple of after work walks with friends each week mainly to add a bit of structure to my week so I’m able to function enough to do my nhs job (from home).

I’d also be worried that if they banned meeting outdoors it would forgive lonely people to meet indoors instead away from prying eyed, actually increasing spread.

Well yes, a lifeline. My 90yo mil has at least 3 bubbles I know of and always has. It might actually be more.

There are just too many options wrt to support and care, shopping, dog walking, garden centres, takeaways...

I think DH's bout has scared the shit enough out of me realise to the bone that rules are there for a reason

Sorry that SHOULD read... scared the shit enough out of me TO realise to the bone that rules are there for a reason. Can't write. So frickin' tired after this white knuckle ride I've been on. Well... DH has been on, really. I've just been observing from the sidelines and it's been traumatic.

@TheVanguardSix

It's a shame if it comes to that, but from what I see, it may have to, sadly. DD's birthday fell during Lockdown Version 1.0. Not for a moment did we consider an outdoor picnic with her buddies. Roll on January 2021 and her friend had a picnic birthday party last week. 4 kids. 4 adults. Who knows what their habits have been, what their Christmases were like? I don't know. And having been through the worst experience with DH on a CPAP in ICU for 10 days (not to mention the hell on earth Home Experience of Covid in the days before he was admitted), I wouldn't mess around, just to be safe. I think DH's bout has scared the shit enough out of me realise to the bone that rules are there for a reason... rules we have followed as a family, just to add. But DH is a frontliner and did get Covid via patient contact. So, his risk was always going to be higher because of that.

I’m sorry to hear about your DH

What your dd’s friend did though is already not allowed. You’re allowed to meet just one person and for exercise not a picnic.

They need to clamp down on employers saying people can't work at home who could work at home and less essential shops, etc. first. We are in one of the original tier 4, all schools shut etc and numbers are dropping and below national average.

There are loads more industries and businesses open than the last lockdown. Loads more people travelling to offices that were working from home last time. All coming into contact with several work colleagues during the day.
Banning one person meeting another outdoors for a walk and a chat will not bring the rates down significantly or at all. Its another stupid rule that makes people already complying restricted further from protecting their mental health.

I was discussing this with colleagues in our team zoom - as to what further restrictions they could possibly introduce. We came up with:

• only walk with members of your household
• limit exercise to 1 hour a day and within a mile of home
• require masks to be worn at all time when outside/supermarkets
• no more than 1 person in a supermarket visit
• cut out support bubbles
• crack down on employers in non essential roles requiring people to come into work
• stop live sport

Some of these are more likely than others. But all the virology data shows that indoor transmission is the key threat - outdoors its very low/negligible so I'd say limiting supermarket access to 1 person at a time and insisting on masks, limiting non essential supermarket purchases, cancelling live sport (given the antics of football teams in the locker rooms) and cracking down on employers would be the most effective. Less people going to work would also impact transport use.

I think it would be very hard for the government to cut support bubbles - for instance me visiting my 91 yr old Dad who lives alone. I do all his shopping and am his only contact.

An analogy used by virologists is how likely you are to inhale smoke from a cigarette smoker. Indoors/proximity/crowding/poor ventilation are the most likely risks not walking or sitting in a park a few feet away from a smoker.

I was thinking about this, and the two main things they have allowed are things that disproportionately affect women. Nursery closing means more women will have to stop working or wfh with young children which isn't feasible, and allowing exercise with another person. I think that women here would be affected more than men. I walk/run 3 time a week with the same lady and it makes me feel safer. I wouldn't like running or walking alone in the evening, in the dark. I honestly think on some level, that's the reason they haven't removed them, and I don't think they will.

I also think that a walk and a chat is a motivation to exercise for those of us with a few extra pounds from Christmas. I wouldn't walk as far or as often if it was just me on my own.

Oh and physically can't run, my knees went years ago (disability not weight related).

Welfare and safety its very dangerous, potential kidnappers etc

there's the knock on impact that some people think if they are allowed to meet 1 person then meeting 2 or 3 should also be ok, so just do it anyway

Well there's already a law against that, so enforce the law. Don't punish those who do only meet one person and don't take the mickey.

@rhowton

I was thinking about this, and the two main things they have allowed are things that disproportionately affect women. Nursery closing means more women will have to stop working or wfh with young children which isn't feasible, and allowing exercise with another person. I think that women here would be affected more than men. I walk/run 3 time a week with the same lady and it makes me feel safer. I wouldn't like running or walking alone in the evening, in the dark. I honestly think on some level, that's the reason they haven't removed them, and I don't think they will.

I could go trail running in quiet areas in lockdown#1 in late afternoon after battling homeschooling. Now it's regimented with live slots through the day between 9am and 3:30pm. DS2 has just finished and daylight is fading already. So getting out of suburbia into the fields is off-limits because it's just too hazardous to wade through ankle-deep mud in the dark. So I'm stuck with pavement pounding around suburbia.

Going for a run with one person is my social lifeline. I spend 6 hours battling relucatant children while the house echoes with DH's conference calls. We don't qualify for any kind of bubbles. Running around in the dark with a mum friend is my final social lifeline of sanity.

Many thousands of women don't even run in the dark because they're so socially conditioned about victim blaming and the hazards of men emerging from the shadows with malicious intent. I won't pretend it doesn't cross my mind, and my nocturnal routes are significantly restricted compared to daytime.

Really hope not. Makes a massive difference to me to be able to meet a friend for a socially distanced dog walk every morning. And I can't believe 2 people outside, socially distancing is driving transmission. Plus the rates are starting to go down so give this week old lockdown chance to work.

Sadly I wouldn't be surprised if they have a knee jerk non evidence based reaction.