wellinever

campos

My observations too .Makes you wonder if the police are interested in some easy fines or not

wellinever

GNR were actually parked up as I walked by, they moved a few young lads sitting on a wall, but nothing to the people on the beach.
I reckon no more than 70% wearing masks on the prom, lots of French speaking but no masks at all.

campos

In the staged de-lockdown tables I saved from the Algarve 'paper I don't see any mention of the beaches among all the cafe, school and shop references.

fergus

I have been very, very cautious in the last year. And I do wonder at some people who just seem to be unable to keep their distance and are taken aback when you suggest they mask up. We have had trades people come to the door unmasked ready to come into the house and I have had to tell them to get their mask on, only go to the area of the house they need to, to work with all the windows open and do whatever they need to do, as quickly as possible. Now, I am very lucky to live in a rural area that allows me to go for a walk everyday, without a mask. I occasionally pass people and they always 'move aside' and in the last year a couple of people, also without masks, doing the same thing, have taken to stopping and chatting briefly, albeit from more than 2 metres away. Which brings me to your photos. As far as I can tell from your pictures, the people look like they are staying in their groups, they are more than 2 metres apart and they are outdoor. If everyone was to do as they are, keeping 2 metres and more away from others whilst still enjoying the beach, I find it difficult to want to wag a finger at them. Its almost inevitable though, that others will join them and eventually what was a safe situation will become much less safe. But, I have heard rumours that despite Bournemouth and other UK beaches being absurdly over crowded last year, that there has never been an incident of mass covid spreading related to people on the beach. So, whilst I am taken aback everyday by how some people just don't get it (and today read in the correio da manha that a Portuguese citizen tried to board a flight (in Brazil) without a mask and whilst having a positive covid test the same day), I do hope that life will resume to normal. I am not sure that these people in the photo are significantly increasing the risk of spreading covid. Maybe they are breaking the rules but would a group of five people doing yoga on their mats, on the beach (claiming they are doing their allowed daily exercise) be quite so inciteful? I am going to sit on the fence on this on whilst I think about it a bit more.

bons

Too long. I tried to post something that went wrong, so deleted it.
I'll try again.

https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/n...wn-yet-5058088

wellinever

I didnt post that to suggest they are doing anything other than breaking the law, as I understand it. Esp those preparing a mini tennis court.
I have walked the beach without mask ever since covid appeared.
Considering this is the Atlantic Ocean, and a westerly wind prevails the I dont feel at all in danger of attracting a virus, even if there were others walking by.
But what is odd that last week at a roundabout the GNR stopped every vehicle that arrived, and asked them what they were doing, if they were going to the beach they were turned around. So again mixed rules apply.

fergus

I completely agree with your last post wellinever. Mixed messages, especially from the politicians who so often seem to think they are too important to need to follow the rules that they set for us less ennobled, subjects. The police are then expected to enforce their rules and put in a situation where they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Poor guys end up as scapegoats. Not that they were ever to sanctimonious to avoid criticism, themselves anyway. But that is a discussion for another day when we can all sit outside around a table, with cold beers after the sun has set and the cool breeze is making the night pleasant and covid is well behind us. That is the lucky ones of us that are still around and able to count our blessings. Stay safe everyone.

riv

I agree with the sentiment expressed above by Fergus.

I also take precautions maybe above those instructed by the temporary laws in UK. For example I generally ' double mask ' which is not required but can't do any harm and maybe does some extra good in terms of reducing the risk to me and others.

And that's the point...........' reducing' the risk is basically all people can do...........But it is worth doing.

So in my mind, if going to supermarkets and smaller food shops is permitted, then going to the beach on your own or just with your household bubble is much much less of a risk, with all that fresh sea air blowing away and dissipating whatever Covid particles are around. So I think that sort of activity, plus, eg, playing golf, , always subject to the social distancing rules, should be permitted. Maybe they could set up open air cinemas for that matter, esp. if people required to stay within their cars.

My point is, the social distancing rules are necessary in principle, but they could be a bit more nuanced without increasing the risk of spread. And buses and trains should run only with all their windows wide open..........Cold draughts not agreeable but it must reduce the risk and doesn't stop people travelling.

wellinever

With the current stay in your own Council area, that is another thing which is frustrating, when I live 1Km from the border.to the next council, where there is a large DIY store, fully open, but in my own council area there is nothing other than Aldi and Lidl, so can eat all i want but cant do any odd jobs over the stay put policy.
Yes of course I understand about people moving around the country, esp north to south over the Easter period, but in reality that did not stop it, as the place is now much busier than I have seen it for the past 5 months, so people came down before the lockdown of last week.
But most wearing masks outside, notable exception being French speakers, of which there are a lot (maybe they dont know the rules?)

toots sweet

Yes... the beach scenes(PT) are fine with me as long as they stay like that, but come the holiday weekend I think it will be a different matter. Compared to the scene in Grimsby which is quite horrific(don't people in the UK care about other people) and they are keeping to the rules as long as they havn't left their council area.
Do see a few people in our small nearby town chatting on benches(mask down) but the town is never crowded enough to wear a mask all the time,but most do. We too are quite rural so walking without a mask is OK although we do take one with us..
To be honest I'm going to find it very hard to stop wearing one if ever, and will continue to keep my 2 metres apart. Covid has changed our lives immensely. Don't think I will ever feel totally at ease ever again.
We're quite dreading our return to the UK if that photo is anything to go by.

bons

I think it was Easter last year, when it was quite warm, there was a beach in Bournemouth that was so full, you could barely see the sand. I wouldn't want to go on a beach like that in normal times.

As for the rules, the biggest and most prevailing facts are that crowds spread the disease, keeping 2 metres apart from another person will keep everyone safe. If that is not easily understrood then there's no hope for us. We were told to act as if we have Covid, no I act as if everyone else has Covid and keep well away from them. You can't legislate for the Covid deniers though.

After that image of everyone at the beach on the local news, someone emailed in and said they'd driven up from Kent and had an ice cream, and a wander around, then gone home again and didn't see anything wrong with that as they socially distanced. A head of police came on TV and said you can travel like that as long as you had a good reason. No arrests were made. He came under a lot of pressure for that remark and tried to jusify it the next evening. We were told to stay locally for essential shopping only!!!!

wellinever

I suggest that you would have to chase around a lot on here to catch enough virus to make you ill.
Pic taken Sunday morning at 11am. (BST), so maybe a bit early !!!!!

bons

That beach looks so inviting to run on. I ran in 40 mph+ gusts yesterday, slowest time for a long time. Gales again today. Tomorrow we are told we are having a 'heatwave', trying to climb up to 20 degrees, woohoo. Back to cold with possible snow Easter weekend. Lovely, neck warmer and gloves, thick running joggers, extra layers at the ready...

bons

Here we go. Watch the UK cases rise, let's hope the vaccine is doing it's job!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-56575135