Lockdown tweaks start TODAY with golf and tennis clubs open for unlimited exercise for all
LOCKDOWN tweaks have started today with golf and tennis clubs open for unlimited exercise.
Cooped up Brits have also poured onto the roads and crammed into buses and trains as they get back to work.
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Among the slight changes to the rules is a relaxing of outdoors exercise restrictions – with cooped up Brits allowed to exercise as much as they want each day.
Social distancing remains in place and only certain sports are allowed to be played within household groups.
It is still not allowed to meet up with a group of pals in the park for a kickabout, but those living together can play tennis or golf and sit down in a park.
Friends and family members not living together are finally allowed to meet face-to-face from today – but only two people can meet at a time, still must not hug and need to remain two metres apart.
And many people unable to work from home are heading back to the office after weeks of coronavirus lockdown.
While much of the pandemic restrictions are still in place – the Prime Minister gave workers unable to to their job from home the green light to get going again today.
He urged people to not use public transport unless they have to – instead suggesting they get on a bike or walk to work.
But Tubes and trains are set to be noticeably busier than they have been in the last few weeks as Britain gets moving.
The A102 at Greenwich, South East London, has already got queues of vehicles building up this morning, and workers have been piling onto the London Underground.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
- People living in England can now spend an unlimited time outside exercising and sunbathing. While it is still encouraged to stay at home as much as possible, you can lie in a park and go for a longer run or bike ride from today while remaining safely distanced from others.
- Households can now play certain sports together – such as tennis or golf or go angling. But for now you must still only play them with people you have been living with.
- From today you can meet up with one other family member or friend you don’t live with at a time. You can sit outside together but must not have contact and keep two metres between you at all times.
- You are allowed to view a house from today but again, must take precautions and keep a safe distance from anyone you don’t live with.
- People are allowed to take day trips to get to the countryside, national parks and beaches in England – but have been urged to respect the local communities, keep a safe distance and avoid hotspots.
- You are still not allowed to visit relatives or friends at home, or host them at your house.
- If you can work from home, you should. Only those who absolutely cannot perform their job from home should be leaving the house to work.
- Advice on avoiding public transport aside from essential journeys remains in place, and staying overnight at a holiday or second home is also not allowed.
- Fines for those who break the rules will now start at £100 in England, and will double on each further repeat offence up to £3,200. Stricter rules remain in place in the rest of the UK.
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Anyone who doesn’t absolutely have to take public transport shouldn’t – walk, run or cycle your way to work instead, keeping a safe distance from others, new guidance from the Government says. But it adds if you do have to get on it, then try and face away from other people if you possibly can.
Speaking yesterday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We continue to ask people to only go to work if they cannot do their jobs from home, that’s because even as transport begins to revert to a full service, the two-metre distancing rule will only leave effective capacity for one in ten passengers overall.
“One in ten. Therefore, it’s crucial that we protect our network by minimising the pressures placed upon it and ensure it’s ready to serve those who most need it.”
If you go on public transport you should wear a mask or face covering and keep two metres from other travellers, it advises.
It is not legally required that commuters do so, but the Government now urges anyone in shops or on public transport to use one if they can’t stay apart from others.
To cut down any chance of overcrowding, it is also recommended employers should be able to offer more flexible start times to try and avoid everyone piling onto public transport at rush hour.
This will help reduce the crowds and keep travelling as safe as possible – as normal services have not yet resumed and are still reduced.
Wash your hands as soon as you can after travelling anywhere, and before you head out of the front door. If you see hand sanitising stations anywhere, use them, the guidance says.
Britain’s real coronavirus death toll has passed 40,000, concerning new analysis suggests.
Changes in the guidelines have caused confusion and anger – as people remain unable to visit relatives or friends at their homes, but can now be shown around a property for sale.
The move to unlock the housing market will enable buyers and renters to complete purchases and view properties in person, while visiting estate agents, developer sales offices or show homes will also be allowed.
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The Government estimates more than 450,000 buyers and renters have been unable to progress their plans to move house since lockdown measures were introduced in March.
Unlimited exercise, sunbathing and meeting one person from another household in a public space is now allowed, as long as the two-metre rule is respected, while golf clubs, tennis courts and angling have been given the green light.
Restrictions on how far people can travel to get to the countryside, national parks and beaches in England have also been lifted – but people have been warned to respect local communities, keep their distance from others and avoid hotspots or busy areas.
