UK coronavirus exercise rules have been updated - here’s what the government has said
On Monday, March 23, the UK went into lockdown, with the government instructing that people were only to leave their homes to shop for essentials and for one form of exercise per day. On Friday, March 27, there was a second announcement, including the clarification that runners and cyclists should only use open spaces close to their homes for exercise.
Following the initial statement, people had continued to drive to open spaces to ensure they could run or cycle in solitude. However, the government wants to restrict this kind of movement. The new advice notes that "exercise is still important for people’s physical and mental wellbeing, so the government has said people can leave their homes for exercise once a day". However, it has announced the following guidelines:
stay local and use open spaces near to your home where possible – do not travel unnecessarily
you should only go outside alone or with members of your own household
keep at least 2 metres apart from anyone outside your household at all times
gatherings of more than two in parks or other public spaces have been banned and the police will enforce this
if you have a garden, make use of the space for exercise and fresh air
take hygiene precautions when you are outside, and wash your hands as soon as you are back indoors
A post shared by BBC News (@bbcnews) on Mar 28, 2020 at 7:49am PDT
While the new advice does go further, it does not explicitly define what is mean by "local".
The RAC has urged drivers not to drive to exercise, saying: "You shouldn't use your car in this way. In line with government advice, you should only leave your home for exercise. But we suggest using your garden for this (if you have one) or leaving your home on foot or by bike. As always, you should stay more than two metres away from others."
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