Earlier today me and Mrs Janz were taking a gentle stroll round our local park (about 2 miles) and 99% of people were abiding by the rules of no games , bbq, sunbathing, social distancing etc. I noticed a woman lying on a towel just sunbathing and I thought 'why am I allowed to take a gentle walk and she is not allowed to sunbathe....can someone tell me the difference in terms of potentially spreading Coronavirus between these two activities because I can't see it.
Walking is exercise and therefore essential and sunbathing isn't. From my understanding it's not about a difference in likelihood of spreading the virus - either activity could result in that, but one is more avoidable and unnecessary.
The lady in question was lying in the middle of a park cricket field therefore dozens of metres from anyone else..we were continually being passed by cyclists and faster walkers in both directions. If anything we were in greater danger than she...good news is we all good a healthy dose of vitamin d.. thanks to Mother Nature.
If people are allowed to dwell in the park then the average number of people in the park at any one time will increase. The more people there are in the park the more chance there is of you getting too close to others. Just supposing the park is big enough to accomodate 100 groups of people keeping recommended separation. If 100 groups of people go to the park at the crack of dawn and stay there all day sunbathing there will be no room for anybody else. If the groups walk round for an hour and then leave it will allow many more people to enjoy the park.
If it were permitted, then we would all be out sunbathing in parks, on beaches, with a picnic, reading under trees, with our families, and the open spaces would be as busy as a regular Easter weekend.
The rule is to excercise and keep on the move, thus allowing everyone a chance to enjoy the areas in turn.
Some people cannot exercise, but need the sunshine for health, myself included. Nothing wrong in my opinion in sitting or laying In the sunshine in a park as long as you obey the 2m rule. I am lucky enough to have a garden - many people are stuck inside!
Until we know more about this virus I would prefer to err on the side of caution. No-one really know just how this virus is carried. It could be airborne and able to travel at a greater distance than the 2metres that we are led to believe. Also lying on the grass where possible carriers of the virus have been sitting previously is not wise.
People are having enough trouble grasping the simple rules in place already (only travel for work, shop for essentials and exercise once a day) without trying to introduce any allowed element of flexibility. For example, my kids would be quite safe playing a ball game in an open space because they share the same house but it’s hardly fair to other people if they do.