Coronavirus: Stay or go

And certainly no argument from me over such a sensitive subject but it’s all in the reading.

It is essential the government needs to rethink this restrictive policy and allow appropriate flexibility where it is necessary and justified.’

All they ask is flexibility. These children are what you call special needs. As such their needs are not the same as the rest of us. You need to work with them to know.

Actually, I'm well aware of autistic and children with other special needs having spent the best part of 40 years teaching in secondary education. My wife, until the current lock down,  spent weekly sessions with autistic children with Lady, our Pets As Therapy dog in a local primary school. So please don't start preaching to me!

I agree that there are many people, children, young adults and the elderly who need special care dusing this present crisis and it is unfortunate that you are trying to make an issue of this.  It is also unfortunate that some seem to have a rather flexible view as to which sectors of the community need extra thought and which causes are valid.

I'll not reply further to you about this as I have absolutely no wish to turn this into another slanging match of the sort seen so often just recently. 

There seems to be some confusion in the online newspaper articles re 'exercising once a day'. Section 6b of the The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 refers to:

'to take exercise either alone or with other members of their household;'

There is no mention of frequency or length of time, again this is a product of various Ministers expressing personal wishes rather than sticking to the legal provisions.

Elsewhere, the Regs refer to Police Officers having the ability to Enforce [i.e. issue a Fine] if they fail with the 'Engage, Explain, Encourage' Guidance for the Police themselves.

The Police are required to act if the Person cannot demonstrate a valid reason for not being at home. In the case of the autistic children, being out in the street or park etc is because of the need to 'support or care for ...' provisions and, especially since the Guidance to Police emphasises the need for Common Sense, there should not be a problem.

Rather than the expense, delay, heath risk of convening a Judicial Review, why not allow the Health Secretary to make a specific reference to autism within the 'permitted categories' that refer to frail and vulnerable people? Then, arrange for the GP to issue an 'Exemption Certificate' that can be produced to any Police Officer who feels that [s]he has just cause to make enquiries?

The Parents have to care [and to provide care]; the Police have to police. An Exemption Certificate facilitates both requirements whilst still upholding the wider Public Health challenges of maintaining Social Distancing Regs and reducing the rish of Coronavirus spread.

Steve

Great post and very well it seems ,informed from official sources ,may well "help" with keeping the information in perspective

Thank You,

Not informed with regards to Welsh legislation

Molly,

The disparity comes from the fact that the Health policy [under which *I think*/believe] is a devolved matter. I started my previous post by looking up the Regs and then saw that I had the Scottish version open.

I never looked at the Welsh Regs so missed Easy T's {thanks very much!] clarification that Wales has issued 'exercise once per day' Regs.

As if life wasn't complicated enough!

Steve

And the bad news is that tourists are arriving😤

And the Welsh legislation differs and so for those living in Wales is relevant regardless of relative UK populations

Brue,

Do you know whether the volunteers are people who were employed in the locality pre-lockdown? How are the checks to ensure that none of the volunteers infected being made, because it would seem perfectly possible that there could be a rapid spread of infection and the consequent [and much debated] pressure on local services, even if the Social Distancing Regs are observed.

I'm not being contentious, I'm curious about the management of the exercise.

Steve

When looking on line in this area ,at jobs on farms ,they all stated that the 2mtr spacing was not a problem ,and that all reasonable precautions would be in place even accomadation for helpers,with isolation areas if it became needed

ps even though they thanked me for the interest, i am too old

The curious thing is - did Hancock actually say that - or was the report "fake news"? I've got no reason to believe it was but I've done a lot of searches and can't find any reference to it. And despite every sign to the contrary I can't actually believe our Health Secretary is quite so inept as to have said it 

Evening All

So, After isolating for seven days in Folkstone and showing no symptoms we were advised by head office we could travel to Cornwall. We will now isolate for another seven days as a voluntary precaution. At least we can set up our caravan and have a bit more living space.

On the way to Cornwall we had to divert as there was a crash on the m20 which meant travelling through some villages. Couldn't believe the amount of people out and about, but more importantly lots too close together. This continued as we drove down  a303, The single carriage parts of that route go through a few villages and once again people out socialising. We stopped for fuel, no pay at pump possible so went in (gloved and masked) and there were people standing together chatting and drinking coffee together. Unbelievable. We also noticed several lay byes with food vendors and people stood together. I can't comprehend some folks mentality!

We were stopped twice on the a38 by the police as we were in a motorhome, Obviously we had the necessary paperwork explaining our journey so were ok, but chatting with the officers they said they'd stopped more than a dozen motorhomers that day just out for a drive, some miles away from home. I think some irresponsible lv owners attitudes will have a lasting effect on our hobby. 

Last week we applied for a couple of temporary jobs in Cornwall doing fruit picking. But, as we are now furloughed we can't work anywhere

Beers

JK