Cooped-up Brits begin to venture out more to the shops and in the sunshine as traffic also begins to grow again
COOPED-UP Brits today ventured out to the shops and in the sunshine to make lockdown more bearable - as traffic begins to grow once again.
Hyde Park in London was today packed with young Brits exercising, while a group of paramedics were seen enjoying a well-deserved break in the sunshine.
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Others followed strict government guidelines and remained two metres apart as they sunbathed in the capital on Wednesday afternoon.
And in today's 5pm government press conference, it was announced that traffic on Britain's roads is beginning to increase during lockdown.
Graphs show all motor vehicle traffic spike since yesterday - the first significant rise since April 14.
Meanwhile, shoppers at The Range in Southampton, Hants, were seen loading up with supplies - some which could be deemed "non-essential" - to help keep them occupied while they stay at home.
Some shoppers were seen bringing trolley loads of gardening materials, plants and compost back to their cars as Britain basks in warm weather.
DIY tools, blower vacuums to clean away leaves, paint and other non-essential items were also snapped up by fed-up Brits as the country tries to keep busy under the government's stay-at-home rules.
LOCKDOWN MELTDOWN
Chris Whitty today admitted that lockdown measures will be needed until the end of the year to control coronavirus - until a drug or a vaccine is round.
The Chief Medical Officer said that some form of the measures Britain is going to have to be in place for a long period of time to make sure the transmission rate doesn't grow and begin to
It was "wholly unrealistic" to think a return to normal life is possible anytime soon, Mr Whitty told the Downing Street press conference this evening.
There will be a "series of choices" and ministers will decide a mix of measures to try and get back to a new normal.
The only "exit" from lockdown will be a vaccine or drugs to treat coronavirus, he said.
Strict social distancing measures introduced last month to help tackle the spread of the deadly bug say Brits should only leave home to shop for "basic necessities" like food or medicine.
But there is confusion at guidance on what is a "reasonable excuse" to leave your home during the UK's Covid-19 shutdown.
On March 23, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered all "non-essential" shops to shut while urging Brits to stay at home to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Under the rules, people can only leave home for a limited number of reasons:
The Cabinet is now said to be split into “doves and hawks” over how and when to end the UK-wide shutdown, which is ravaging the country's economy.
Some ministers are said to be against ending the lockdown too early to avoid a second wave, while others want to lift it to avoid a bigger economic crisis.
And guidance from senior police leaders issued last week on what is permitted has confused many.
The National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) and College of Policing's three-page document laid out "reasonable" excuses to leave home.
CONFUSION OVER RULES
They advised that "buying paint and brushes, simply to redecorate a kitchen" was "not likely to be reasonable".
But the advice, which is to help police officers interpret the lockdown rules, says buying "tools and supplies to repair a fence panel" is "likely to be reasonable".
To make things more complicated, the guidance says "there is no need for all a person's shopping to be basic food supplies".
It also states "a person has a reasonable excuse to visit the shops that remain open to customers under the Regulations".
The guidance was quietly introduced last week after a woman was arrested for sitting on a park bench, claiming she was "exercising mentally".
It ruled out sitting on park benches for any extended periods of time.
Some parks have already taped them up to stop people from sitting in the park and relaxing.
Brits are allowed to sit down for a moment to catch their breath or eat their lunch, but only if they are on a long walk.
"A short walk to a park bench, when the person remains seated for a much longer period" is not considered reasonable, the rules say.
POLICE APOLOGY
The new guidance come after accusations of over-zealous policing of Brits.
Downing Street slapped down policing tactics, saying stores are “free to sell what they stock” after officers from Cambridge Police patrolled “non-essential aisles” for shoppers.
A police force had to apologise after one of its officers told a family they couldn't use their own front garden.
Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley was forced to backtrack after saying cops could "start" to "marshal supermarkets and check the items in baskets."
He said the public had enjoyed a "three-week grace period" and said his force would slap fines and arrest those caught outside for non-essential reasons.
He said: "We will not, at this stage, be setting up road blocks.
"We will not, at this stage, start to marshal supermarkets and check the items in baskets and trolleys to see whether it's a necessary item.
"But be under no illusion, if people do not heed the warnings and the pleas I'm making today, we will start to do that."
Home Secretary Priti Patel has repeatedly refused to give in to police chiefs' demands for even more power, saying earlier this week they already had enough measures for enforcement.