The government has said it would be “unlawful to leave the house just to sit in public.”
Sitting outside is now illegal in the UK, unless for a short period of time after exercise.
Downing Street confirmed this week that leaving the house to sit on a park bench or elsewhere is banned under new Covid rules.
Boris Johnson’s government was forced to confirm the ban after the Prime Minister was criticised for not being able to say whether one person was permitted to sit on a bench under new restrictions.
A government source has since clarified that “short pause during the course of exercise would be reasonable”, but that it would be “unlawful to leave the house just to sit in public.”
The Prime Minister’s spokesperson added: “People are allowed to leave their homes if it’s for exercise, not socialising.”
“We have set out clearly the rules. We have been clear in the exemption for the stay-at-home rule: we are permitting one person to meet another person for exercise.”
When asked if going for a walk with a tea is also against the rules, the spokesperson said: “Going for a walk, obviously, does count as exercise.”
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock later added that people can exercise outside with one other person, but that they must stay two metres apart at all times.
“We have been seeing large groups and that is not acceptable,” he said. “If there are too many people breaking this rule then we are going to have to look at it.
“But I don’t want to do that because for many people, being able to go for a walk with a friend, that often is their only social contact.”
2.4 million Covid vaccinations have already been administered in the UK, according to Johnson. It is believed that approximately 40% of 80+ year olds have received the vaccination as well as 23% of elderly care home residents.
Closer to home, Ireland has now has the highest daily rate of virus transmission in the world. The seven day rolling average is 1,394 cases per million people. The UK is currently on 810, and the USA is on 653.
