Inside V outside. So the beaches were fine.

[buttheywereonlysatilites]

There's another article on this today. No outbreaks linked to any beaches.
I went to one of the infamous beaches last year. It was very easy to take a photo that suggested everyone was cheek-by-jowl, when in reality once on the beach we had plenty of space to stay away from others.

But beaches aside, I really hope that the inside v outside risk variation is taken into account next time the government look at the rules. The risk of transmission outside is really small. It would be perfectly possible to allow some children's grassroots sports to go ahead with the correct safety measures in place, for example.
The weather is starting to get better. This is a really good opportunity to make a real difference to some people's mental health.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/19/how-the-beach-super-spreader-myth-can-inform-uks-future-covid-response?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Yes I really hope we can have more freedom to visit outside places.

Yes. It's bizarre how frothy people get about their local parks being full of people out for a stroll or - gasp! - sitting on a bench.

Me too. I don’t understand why there hasn’t been investment in developing outdoor areas in schools and other settings.

Some community sport/activities have never stopped despite being completely against the law - one of our local informal youth groups has been running a very hush hush kids football game every Sunday morning since way before Christmas. And another local support group for a certain nationality (doesn't matter which) has been hosting group walks on weekday afternoons for ages.

I agree entirely that outdoor activity needs to be prioritised, and especially for children. I'd like to see scouting, guiding, and other youth groups allowed back for outside activities really quickly.

I don't think that the risk difference between indoors and outdoors has been emphasised enough. People get annoyed about parks being busy. But then I'll see comments from people who've had friends / family visit their homes and feel they are perfectly safe.

@buttheywereonlysatilites

I don't think that the risk difference between indoors and outdoors has been emphasised enough. People get annoyed about parks being busy. But then I'll see comments from people who've had friends / family visit their homes and feel they are perfectly safe.

Completely agree.

I had two UK holidays last year. Felt way more safe sitting on the beach than I have done since Sept in a classroom.

But the beaches..... all those tattoos and working class people buying Magnums..... and.... and..... beer in plastic glasses..... it really made me clutch my pearls.

The 'problem' with sports isn't so much during the sport as the the chatting before & after or on the side lines.

all those tattoos and working class people buying Magnums

I have always considered Magnums a bit posh

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants

The 'problem' with sports isn't so much during the sport as the the chatting before & after or on the side lines.

That's all manageable though. When they played last summer, parents weren't allowed to stand and watch so this could be avoided. It's not a sound reason to have a absolute ban.

It would be brilliant if there was some relaxation of rules for outdoor activities soon, as so few of the rules make any sense and they currently discriminate against children and older people. Only being able to meet up with one other person to go for a walk isn't much use if you can't walk very far, or if you're a child over the age of 5, but too young to be allowed out alone to meet up with a friend. We've got a skateboard park next to a playpark in my town, and they've had to block off the skateboard park as its not allowed, whilst the playpark is allowed - which seems very unfair on teenagers. And surely the big risk with all this out of door prohibition is that it drives some people indoors where they can't be seen?

@TheYearOfSmallThings

all those tattoos and working class people buying Magnums

I have always considered Magnums a bit posh

Well I think this just shows how completely working class you are

Last year, it wasn't known exactly how relatively safe or unsafe various things are. We know more now. Though unfortunately there's some evidence that what pertained to the original strain may not to the new one.

But yes, I hope that there will be a relaxation on restriction of outside activities in general and in particular sports and kids activities.

I suspect indoor mixing will be one of the last things we get back as one of the ministers made the comment they know it's spread by indoor mixing, so they're going to be looking at outside options a lot more.

I think that was definitely true last year. But I do wonder what impact the new variants have if they are so much more transmissible? Hopefully still low risk but probably not as low as last year?

Well I think this just shows how completely working class you are

It's true - I always buy the Iceland fake Magnums.

I completely agree-outside is a completely different ballgame.

Looking back, we had some really nice days on the beach last summer and I felt far safer there than I have done in a classroom full of 31 children, no masks and a window that barely opens. But schools are safe and beaches are not, remember!

My mum lives 30 mins away ( v rural between us both) I want to drive the 15 mins to meet her on a really quiet bridleway but don't want to be stopped by the police for doing so.

I absolutely agree that outdoors is fine compared to indoors.

So on Monday I want to hear when the stay local message will be dropped so that I can have my one to one walks more than 5 mins from the house!

And I know there are no actual rules about distance, but my DH is adamant and made it clear that he would disapprove of me going this far for a walk.

I was so 🙄 at the people moaning about people going to busy beaches last year. It was all over FB, all over the news and all over MN (of course). Ffs people were allowed to go to the beach, they literally did nothing wrong. But the pearl clutchers acted as though the people on the beaches were murderers.

The only reason we didn't go to the beach was because of a lack of toilets. I very much disagree with people using the beach and people's gardens like a toilet and rubbish bin, that was unacceptable! But the local councils should have just bloody opened up the public toilets, they were being ridiculous. I really hope they don't do the same again when the weather gets warm. People need to have some fun, kids need a treat, and I'm sure the local tourist industries will need the money.

I sat at a picnic table in a park yesterday.

Probably murdered several grannies (Or you know...not)

@Shelovesamystery all the beaches we went to had public loos open. I was also worried about that and took camping provisions in the car just in case, but I didn't need to use them thankfully!

I think it's cos people think those they invite into their homes must be clean, whereas strangers are germ infested plague carriers.

@Shelovesamystery

I was so 🙄 at the people moaning about people going to busy beaches last year. It was all over FB, all over the news and all over MN (of course). Ffs people were allowed to go to the beach, they literally did nothing wrong. But the pearl clutchers acted as though the people on the beaches were murderers.

The only reason we didn't go to the beach was because of a lack of toilets. I very much disagree with people using the beach and people's gardens like a toilet and rubbish bin, that was unacceptable! But the local councils should have just bloody opened up the public toilets, they were being ridiculous. I really hope they don't do the same again when the weather gets warm. People need to have some fun, kids need a treat, and I'm sure the local tourist industries will need the money.

.

I agree with every word!

I would lift all outdoor restrictions immediately