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UK lockdown remains in place for at least three more weeks, government confirms - and you can still go out cycling

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab says it would be dangerous for health and economy to relax restrictions too soon

Current restrictions on movement of people within the UK to try and contain the spread of the coronavirus will remain in force for at least a further three weeks, the government has confirmed.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said in this evening's update on the pandemic from Number 10 Downing Street that it would be "dangerous" both for public health and the economy to relax any of the current restrictions.

The existing ability to leave the home to undertake one form of exercise each day, including cycling, remains.

Raab said: "The advice from Sage [the scientific advisory group for emergencies] is that relaxing any of the measures currently in place would risk damage to both public health and our economy."

He continued: "There are indications that the measures we have put in place have been successful in slowing down the spread of the virus.

"But, Sage also say that it is a mixed and inconsistent picture and, in some settings, infections are still likely to be increasing.

"Sage assess that the rate of infection, or the R value, is almost certainly below 1 in the community.

"That means that on average each infected person is, in turn, infecting less than one other person

"But, overall, we still don’t have the infection rate down as far as we need to.

"As in other countries, we have issues with the virus spreading in some hospitals and care homes.

"In sum, the very clear advice we have received is that any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus.

"That would threaten a second peak of the virus, and substantially increase the number of deaths.

"It would undo the progress made to date, and as a result, would require an even longer period of the more restrictive social distancing measures."

There is no indication as yet of when the restrictions might be lifted, but as the legilsation stands, the next opportunity for review will be three weeks from today, on 7 May.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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11 comments

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cycle.london | 4 years ago
2 likes

Just so long as everyone knows that what the police 'issue' as guidelines, is not law.  

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Hirsute replied to cycle.london | 4 years ago
2 likes

LOL

Every news site in england I've read has comments about one hour of exercise, 30 mins of cycling, once a day, you can only walk/run/cycle, you can't go more than 2 miles from home, cyclists should be shot on sight (well I'm sure that's what they are thinking).

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FluffyKittenofT... | 4 years ago
1 like

The longer this goes on, the more complicated the rules seem to become. Understandably so, I guess, as more situations arise, but I don't feel a lot of confidence in the police's ability to understand and fairly-apply laws even as it is.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/16/driving-for-exercise-allow...

...has me wondering whether cycling somewhere in order to get off and go for a walk is also allowed?

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Judge dreadful replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 4 years ago
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FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

The longer this goes on, the more complicated the rules seem to become. Understandably so, I guess, as more situations arise, but I don't feel a lot of confidence in the police's ability to understand and fairly-apply laws even as it is. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/16/driving-for-exercise-allow... ...has me wondering whether cycling somewhere in order to get off and go for a walk is also allowed?

I talked to a copper on a bike, in a park yesterday. He said he basically did what his supervising officer said to do. If anyone kicked off too much about his 'engagement' he'd get on to the supervising officer, to check, then go for 'encouraging' the person(s) to do as they were asked, and only go to 'enforcement' if the person(s) were obviously not 'encouraged' to go away.

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ktache | 4 years ago
0 likes

The National Police Chiefs Council has released a document outlining what they believe to be a "resonable excuse" to leave the place where you live.

https://www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/Documents/What-constit...

Under Exercise and in the Likely to be reasonable column is "Exercising more than once per day - the only relevant consideration is whether repeated exercise on the same day can be considered a ‘reasonable excuse’ for leaving home."

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jollygoodvelo replied to ktache | 4 years ago
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ktache wrote:

The National Police Chiefs Council has released a document outlining what they believe to be a "resonable excuse" to leave the place where you live.

https://www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/Documents/What-constit...

Under Exercise and in the Likely to be reasonable column is "Exercising more than once per day - the only relevant consideration is whether repeated exercise on the same day can be considered a ‘reasonable excuse’ for leaving home."

Bit disappointing that they needed to issue this really.  As with many things, the test should be 'are you taking the p!ss?'  Going out for an hour or two's ride, self-supported, on your own: fine.  Riding a 600km? don't take the p!ss.  Hopping in the car for five minutes to go and walk somewhere quiet: fine.  Driving for two hours to the beach or preferred Instabeauty spot: don't take the p!ss.

It shouldn't be about the letter of the law.  If at any time you think you're pushing the spirit of what's allowed, imagine the people coughing and dying without their friends and family in your local ICU and the staff putting themselves at risk to care for those people, and go home.

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crazy-legs replied to jollygoodvelo | 4 years ago
1 like

Sadly, as countless people have proved on countless occasions, there's alwasy someone that either doesn't care or is too stupid to know better. See any CV story in the press about how families have been stopped in their camper vans from rocking up to a beach in Cornwall having driven down from the Midlands...

I agree that the messaging has been a bit half-arsed and random - the STAY HOME! adverts don't tie in with the "but you can leave your house for this, that, the other and well maybe a few other things too".

Ultimately,. it's intended to address the issue that many people, especially in cities, might have no option but to drive a short distance out to the suburbs to get a walk in a quiet part but at what point does that change to a day out mountain biking in the Lake District?

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ktache replied to crazy-legs | 4 years ago
1 like

I don't think it's meant for "us".  More so that police forces and individual constables are generally singing from the same hymn sheet, rather than overstepping the mark and looking foolish on Youtube, or being critisised by former supreme court judges.

Rereading the thing about exercise, I think it's still quite wooly and very open to interpretation.  It doesn't really make that much sense.

And, why on earth would you tell the concerned officer that this wasn't your first bit of exercise for that day?

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cycle.london replied to ktache | 4 years ago
0 likes

ktache wrote:

Rereading the thing about exercise, I think it's still quite wooly and very open to interpretation.  It doesn't really make that much sense.

I always thought that in this country, anything that was not specifically forbidden, is permitted.    So there's no 'discretion' or 'interpretation' allowed for coppers.  If it's not on the statute book as 'you can't do x', then you can do x, and nothing the police can say or do can stop you.  

But as ever, IANAL.  

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Drinfinity replied to cycle.london | 4 years ago
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In this case, you are forbidden from x, leaving the house, unless y, you have a 'reasonable excuse'. The Police guidance sets out a consistent view of what might be considered reasonable by the court.

 

So yes, the copper is required to interpret what might be reasonable; they need to make a judgement that buying a Twix is reasonable, but driving from the Midlands to a beach in Cornwall is not. The individual is free to challenge that judgment in court.

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jollygoodvelo replied to crazy-legs | 4 years ago
0 likes

crazy-legs wrote:

Ultimately,. it's intended to address the issue that many people, especially in cities, might have no option but to drive a short distance out to the suburbs to get a walk in a quiet part but at what point does that change to a day out mountain biking in the Lake District?

I have a lot of sympathy for those who live in places with no outside space, I've done similar in the past, but even London has more public parks and green spaces than most of its residents ever make use of.  (I might also argue that if you choose to live in a rabbit hutch you shouldn't complain about sleeping on straw.)  On the other hand, my infrequent shopping trips over the last month haven't always been to the nearest supermarket... it's just about common sense.

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