The UK government could ban people from leaving their homes even to exercise if too many flout social distancing rules, for example by sunbathing in parks, health secretary Matt Hancock has suggested.
Warning about the possibility of moves towards a fuller lockdown, such as that imposed in France and Italy, Hancock told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday show sitting or lying in public places wasn’t permitted under current rules.
“Sunbathing is against the rules that have been set out for important public health reasons. I wish I didn’t have to say this but I do because the whole country wants to come through this crisis,” the health secretary, who has himself recently emerged from isolation after contracting the virus, said.
Social unrest is coming:
— Shaun #PogueMahone (@happyjack1981) April 5, 2020
Hancock says follow the rules or we'll ban all exercise outside
Collective punishment for the acts of few
How are you gonna police this you cock? With an under resourced & overstretched state?
A summer of riots is coming closer#COVID19
Hancock said people should only leave home for work, buying food, health reasons or exercise, but the latter could be withdrawn if physical distancing was not properly followed.
The idea of banning exercise out of the home because 0.1% of the public are stupid and ignore the 2 metre rule is totally absurd.
— Chris Daw QC (@crimlawuk) April 5, 2020
Why not ban driving because 0.1% of drivers cause a risk of accidents?
Crack down on the idiots.
Not everyone else.
https://t.co/dZG04F6RCo
“We’ve said because of the positive benefits to your physical and your mental health that it’s OK to exercise on your own or with members of your own household. But if the result of that is that too many people go out and flout the other rules because they say, ‘Well, if I can exercise then it’s fine for me to do other things,’ then I’m afraid we’ll have to take action. So my message is really clear. If you don’t want us to have to take the step to ban exercise of all forms outside of your own home then you’ve got to follow the rules, and the vast majority people are following the rules,” Hancock elaborated.
Sorry to ask. It is probably impolite or even worse somehow
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) April 5, 2020
But WHO funded Keir Starmer’s campaign?
And WHY has the Russia Report still not been released? No Coronavirus is NOT a valid reason for it still being withheld
I'm actually livid after that @Keir_Starmer #Marr interview!
— Chelley Ryan - I ❤️ our NHS! (@chelleryn99) April 5, 2020
Suggesting Corbyn was crowing in victory over the Coronavirus crisis was disgusting
For a supposedly nice man that was a disgusting thing to say. Corbyn will be feeling the pain of every death. He's not crowing.
While the proposal has proven extremely controversial on social media, newly elected Labour leader Keir Starmer has said his party would support either a ban on outdoor exercise or on non-essential work if necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19. His newly elected deputy, Angela Rayner, was less enthused.
“If you’re stuck in inadequate accommodation, you’ve got no back garden, nowhere to go, and you’re on top of each other, people should do social distancing, but also be reasonable and proportionate about that,” she told the Sophy Ridge show.
