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THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S health minister Matt Hancock has backed more stringent enforcement of the lockdown by police and warned that “every flexibility” of the rules could prove fatal.
Matt Hancock said the majority of people are “following the rules” to stay at home, but he refused to criticise the police over complaints that some forces have been over-zealous in handing out fines.
Police tactics have come in for scrutiny after Derbyshire Police handed out £200 fines to two women who drove separately to go for a walk at a remote beauty spot situated around 5 miles – around 8km – from their homes.
Guidance in England states that people can travel for exercise as long as it is in their “local area”; the east midlands police force said that the women’s actions were not in the spirit of the restrictions, according to the BBC.
The constabulary has since confirmed it will be reviewing all fixed penalty notices issued during the new national lockdown in England after it received clarification about the coronavirus regulations from the National Police Chiefs’ Council following the incident.
Hancock, asked about Derbyshire Police’s approach, told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: “I’m absolutely going to back the police because the challenge here is that every flex can be fatal.
“You might look at the rules and think ‘Well, it doesn’t matter too much if I just do this or do that’.
“But these rules are not there as boundaries to be pushed, they are the limit to what people should be doing.
“The police are right to take very seriously the rules we have brought in. We haven’t brought them in because we wanted to, we’ve brought them in because we had to.
“Every flexibility can be fatal.”
Officers will be issuing fines more quickly to those who break the regulations.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) January 10, 2021
We are at a critical point for #London in its fight against Coronavirus.
Play your part by staying at home. pic.twitter.com/2CnIhmkgss
The comments came after Home Secretary Priti Patel also offered her support to those on the front line of policing the lockdown, stressing that there is “a need for strong enforcement where people are clearly breaking these rules” and vowed that officers will “not hesitate to take action”.
But John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said on BBC Breakfast that a review would be necessary after the Derbyshire incident and called for more clarity on the guidance from ministers.
Some experts have branded the current lockdown measures not strict enough, in the face of the more transmissible variant which has spread rapidly in many parts of the country.
Sir Keir Starmer told BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show that the current lockdown rules “may not be tough enough”.
Hancock also said the British government is on course to reach its target of 13 million people vaccinated by mid-February.
He said that 200,000 people are being inoculated per day, with the opening of seven mass vaccination centres this week likely to increase the rate of jabs.
One third of people over the age of 80 has now received a vaccination, he confirmed, while all adults are expected to be offered an injection by the autumn.
Mr Hancock told Sky News that the country is likely to see a joint vaccination programme in place for the “foreseeable” future.
“I think it’s highly likely that there will be a dual-vaccination programme for the foreseeable – this is the medium term – of flu and Covid,” he added.
It came as the number of patients with Covid-19 in hospital reached a record high in England, while the official coronavirus death toll for the UK passed 80,000 yesterday and lab-confirmed cases hit more than 3 million.
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Wish they did it here. Might actually stop people breaking the rules. There are basically no consequences for doing the wrong this in Ireland. Just a “ah now shtop that” and a “off ya go”
@a: You must have missed the article Here a couple of days ago about the guards releasing a report of those jailed for not adhering to the restrictions.
@a: You want people to be arrested for doing something for their physical and mental health by going for a walk by the sea? What a py¢ho you are!
@JedBartlett: It’s a fair bet those jailed were not simply taking a stroll outside the the 5km limit or out for a quiet drive in the country. More likely of the “Is this Nazi Germany or ‘wha ?” “You’re not the bleed’in boss of me” variety.
@Tommy Roche: Agreed. I’d imagine the situation escalated as all along the guards have said they would try to engage and educate. Enforcement would be a last resort. Funny though, that was never mentioned in the article I referred to. It would have you believe that people are being locked up for little or nothing.
@mar: Well said. This is a dangerous road to travel down.
@JedBartlett: no its not. Rules are rules, abide by the them. Its not too hard. Exercise within 5km of your house
@a: I have just one word for you that you will understand…baaaaaaaaaaa
@mar: Yeah because the only way people can look after their mental and physical health is to find different ways to break whatever guidelines are in place
@Tommy Roche: There’s footage of the arrest. Maybe you should have a look at it. They were in fact arrested for sitting on a bench by the sea. And yes it’s a bit like Nazi Germany if you ask me. If you think that’s fine then you have some serious problems.
@Pat Andrews: I think his point is that it is potentially dangerous to move towards a society and state where free movement is stopped and punishable by fans or other penalties.
@a: Are you actually condoning police acting unlawfully? Because there is nothing in the law regarding distance that someone can travel in the UK for exercise. This is a very dangerous route we are going down
@JusticeForJoe: Don’t bother going for a walk in the mountains or a swim in the sea. Just walk around the block a few times and put your feet in a bucket of water instead because Joe says it makes no difference and most importantly you are not going to break any guidelines!
@mar: Think you misread my comment. It was it reference to those jailed here. Absolutely would not condone the arrest/fining of people behaving in a perfectly safe manner.
@mar: If you think two people arrested and fined is akin to Nazi Germany, you are showing an utter lack of historical knowledge.
Maybe if they were shot on the spot and their kids shot and the fit men and women sent to work in death camps, well now you’d be closer to the mark.
@Tommy Roche: Yea, sorry got that wrong.
@mar: I had posted a twitter link to the video but it is gone.
@Fozz: I’m obviously not saying it’s 100% akin to Nazi Germany and you know that. If you can’t see though that it is definitely Nazi’esque then maybe you are the one who wasn’t paying attention in history class.
@mar: what is worse than living in nazi germany, maybe east berlin under the stasi. That’ll be next now you’re fellow comrade reporting that your outside your 5k!
@mar: Even if it kills someone ?
@mar: Of course you’re not saying that. The problem is most people are so polarised these days that there’s not enough room for nuanced conversation. This is NOT Nazi Germany, nor is it the totalitarian regime of 1984. However, it is a step in that direction. It is a restriction on personal freedom. To NOT consider that seems strange. To say (as one person here did) ‘Rules are rules’ is frightening.
@Shnack: Ah yeah you must be one of those on the top of the intelligence pyramid . All the people with bachelor degrees , masters degrees , phd’s and then there’s you , the genius whose answer to everybody who disagree is Baaaaaaaaa.
@Shnack: Ah yeah you must be one of those on the top of the intelligence pyramid . All the people with bachelor degrees , masters degrees , phd’s and then there’s you , the genius whose answer to everybody who disagree is Baaaaaaaaa.
@Shnack: Ah yeah you must be one of those on the top of the intelligence pyramid . All the people with bachelor degrees , masters degrees , phd’s and then there’s you , the genius whose answer to everybody who disagree is Baaaaaaaaa.
@Shnack: Ah yeah you must be one of those on the top of the intelligence pyramid . All the people with bachelor degrees , masters degrees , phd’s and then there’s you , the genius whose answer to everybody who disagree is Baaaaaaaaa. Good man .
@Shnack: when you have the courage to step out from behind your anonymous profile I’ll be more likely to see you as a shepherd . Until then . baaaaa
@Jim Lingk: not so dangerous in a pandemic I’d imagine
@mar: ahh another non believer
@Conor Flood: Perhaps not. Worth considering. And worth monitoring to see how much control is given back after all of this.
@mar: What arrest? Each of the women in Britain was fined 200 quid. No one’s talking about arresting anyone. The original comment gave the view that people here could be fined as well. You’re fighting with the wrong people here over something that isn’t happening.
The vaccine rollout has started. The end we were promised should be in sight.
Instead we get excessive enforcement of restrictions like this, strict testing at airports, power mad health staff screaming at the public to go home and increasing deference to zero covid lobby. All with a hysterical public cheering it all along like it is the best thing to ever happen to us.
This is fine.
@Barry C: you started well and lost direction. The end is in sight, so let’s put our shoulder to the wheel
@Barry C: Tens of thousands are getting positive results every day in the UK. In London, 5% of the population currently have Covid 19. On Friday there were over 1,300 deaths. In 1 single day! Yes, the vaccine rollout has started. But that doesn’t mean stupidity is the order of the day!
@Barry C: not everyone is vacinatated at the same time to expect that is nonsense, due to production and demand for the vacine it’ll be a slow rollout over the next year, not over weeks or a few months but a year so let’s stick with doing our bit until then
@Barry C: Barry, you still refusing to wear a mask inside a shop ?
And Cummings bs story driving 30 miles with the kids in the car to test his eyesight.
Hows the Clifden investigation going here?
Obviously its not whether the law gets broken, its who is doing it is important.
All I can say is thank God I work in a hospital and have to go to work as there is very little within 5km of where I live that I would want to walk on my own. Run down shops and unkempt streets and a few feral youths! Sorry but going that extra km is get away from people and actually improving my mental health after work is the only thing that keeps me going. And where I go is where I have alone time so I’m hardly spreading Covid.
@Lisa Jones: Well said Lisa: the voice of reason. We should all be allowed to travel to exercise to give us all more space.
Bit vague, 5 miles , not in their ‘local area’, not ‘not in the spirit of the restrictions’ , yet doesn’t give the precise distance allowed?
@Ixtrix Net: We are living in the centre of Cork city and the 5 km is ridiculous as it means hundreds and hundreds of people trying to get exercise in small areas. This is just crazy. People should be allowed to travel within their countries for exercise.
@Carol Cunningham: Why do you need to travel to get exercise?
Can’t you simply walk out the door or hop on a bike?
@Fozz: I think she means that it helps to get away from crowded places? I know people who get up at dawn to get a peaceful walk in. They only want some time to themselves and not everyone has a public green space within walking distance. I was thinking that’s a direct result of prioritising cars and commuting over everything else.
It would have been cheaper to STAY AT HOME
Five miles from their home is hardly a big deal. Wouldn’t be surprised if this was overturned.
Sure God love them, they really love rules and being spectacularly overzealous in applying them… when it suits.
Pity our Garda would not enforce the fines on a bunch of “speshal” crowd that went up to North earlier today.
It’s the bit were they claim Starbucks is a picnic that makes this really ridiculous
Is it 5km by road or as the crow flies does anyone know?
Classic.
He reminds of that DUP guy ……??
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