Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/03/25/london-cops-disperse-parkful-o.html
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While doing it in a public place is stupid, getting some sun on your skin is a good thing because it produces vitamin D, important for your immune system. If you can, get some sun at an open window, balcony, or backyard, or ingest vitamin D supplements. It’s good for your mood and for your immune system.
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Oddly enough, here in Ohio, to the best of my knowledge, going to a park is one of the things that you are allowed to do. While I think they are more hoping for people to go walking and use the trails (while maintaining a 6’ distance), I can understand why there would be people out trying to get some sun. As long as they were staying more than 6’ apart at all times…
Obviously if you have a yard, doing it there would be better.
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In Austin people are being idiots. Here’s a pic i got from an article of people congregating en masse by the river yesterday
(original post edited because apparently the local news site does not load for people outside of Austin)
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It’s one of the things you’re allowed to in London too, people just like bossing each other around over here. No one in the video was in a group of more than 2, or within 2m of people outside their group, so they were already following government advice.
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I’m not sure what the official rules / guidance are in the UK right now – I suppose this doesn’t exactly qualify as “sheltering in place” – but sitting in the great outdoors more than 2m from anybody else seems like a pretty safe thing to do. Some people just seem to be reacting like “Hey, don’t you know this is a crisis?! You’re not allowed to enjoy yourself!” Which doesn’t seem to be either productive nor the official advice:
UK PM Boris Johnson has stressed that parks and open spaces are “crucial for our country and for our society”, and urged people to use them responsibly.
But hey, things are changing quickly, maybe that was yesterday and today people are being urged to hunker in the corner of their room with the blinds drawn.
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I’d be very surprised if the benefit of sun on overall health is attributable to only vitamin D. But we can’t measure that, so no harm in assuming it’s irrelevant (or something).
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Looks to much like Shrek. Hence, is to likeable. I imagined a Vogon differently.
But he should definitely stay off the green.
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Literally just up the road from me. Most people in this neck of the woods live in very small apartments and don’t have a garden. Given the lovely weather we’ve been having recently after a vile winter, I’d be surprised if the police didn’t have to do this on the regular.
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I don’t want to pass false info, so take this with a grain of salt, but I’ve seen commentary by people claiming to be physicians and infectious disease specialists that UV from sunlight quickly degrades the RNA of this virus on surfaces, skin, and clothing.
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The brazilian cops have more persuasive methods.
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Under the current lockdown in the UK, you can leave the house:
- to go to work, if you have to
- to buy food, medicine or other essential supplies
- to take care of a vulnerable person
- to take exercise (once per day only)
None of those seems to apply here, unless sunbathing counts as exercise.
So the police were enforcing the rules as written. (Whether those rules make 100% sense is a separate question.)
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I’m fairly sure those are more guidelines than rules. I don’t even think the new covid-19 legislation has passed yet (due to complete today).
ETA: the Met in particular seems to take an “enforce now, settle the civil suit later” approach to the exact limits of their powers.
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police gotta be police, I guess
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“Sunbathing” is a description added by the uploader, all you can actually see is people sitting and lying. Could be stretching, could be doing planks or yoga or crunches. I’ve seen plenty of people in the park doing that sort of thing.
Even if they are technically not exercising though, what grinds my gears about this stuff is that everyone immediately calls them stupid and irresponsible, as if it’s perfectly safe to do crunches in the park, but the second you lose tension in your abs you’re spreading the virus to everyone around you.
The UK government is pursuing a strategy of blaming members of the public to cover for their terrible response, and it’s going to work because British people love hating their neighbours.
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And you’d be wrong. Current guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
I don’t think people is taking seriously enough this situation.
I am in spain. Fortunately not in Madrid, where we have the worst cases, and certainly not in the rural areas, where we have less resources to treat them, but still:
- A close friend in his 30s is interned in the UCI with a double pneumonia caused by the SARS
- Another friend is with the first stages of COVID infection, which will probably cause SARS. He’s a bit older than my other friend but not a smoker.
- My sister’s friend’s grandfather died of SARS in the hospital
- One of my friend’s grandmother died at home, of SARS, before the hospital could attend her because they were overworked.
I am not a specially sociable person, so for me to personally know so many cases should be a reflection on how widespread the sickness is.
In Spain, people is complaining that we did not react in time to contain the infection, that we should had stablished the lockdown at least a week before. At the same time, a lot of idiots on the first wave (mostly rich people) got infected and refused to respect the lockdown, going to their countryhouses (usually in the beach) and spreading the sickness further.
Please, if the government is not reacting fast enough, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Heed my advice. Stay Home. Don’t exit if it’s not needed. Work remotely if you can. If you have any leverage at your work pressure them to take measures above and beyond what the government says.If you have leverage at any level of government, pressure them to enforce the lockdown.
I’ve been in a 30sqm flat since tje 11th, and looks like we’re going to remain in lockdown until the next 11th, if not more. I got a couple times outside to resupply, and keep contact with people and coworkers using online messaging. So I know not getting out is a pain in the ass. I know not getting enough sunlight is affecting my circadians - also I chose a bad time to get off my anxiety medication. But this is not about me, it’s about slowing the spreading to not overload the healthcare system.
And so, this is not about you. You can stay home for a month. Just stay home. Don’t sunbathe in the park, do your excercises indoors. Don’t go for a stroll. Don’t try to book a massage at a spa- yes, based on real facts, my sister works at one (they are closed now) -. Your country may not salute you for doing so, but I surely will.
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