Non-key workers and tourists defy physical distancing advice in UK
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Version 0 of 1. Anger in London over crowded trains as Wales orders holidaymakers to return home Groups taking trips to beauty spots and some non-essential workers are among those who have continued to flout Boris Johnson’s advice on physical distancing in the UK. In London on Monday there was anger over crowded trains and tubes, with unions saying doctors and nurses were being put at risk by being jammed into public transport with non-essential workers. Parks and beaches were significantly quieter than at the weekend and shopping centres almost deserted – but groups of people, including teenagers and families, were still out enjoying the spring sunshine. The Welsh government took strong action, shutting caravan parks and campsites and ordering holidaymakers home, arguing that this was an important tactic to save lives. Statistics, however, show that most people were following the prime minister’s advice. Transport use was down and more people than ever are working from home. Despite pictures of packed tubes and trains on social media, peak London congestion was down by two-thirds on Monday morning compared with a typical rush hour, according to the satnav firm TomTom. The transport app Citymapper revealed that London, Birmingham and Manchester registered significant drops in public transport use, down to 23%, 25% and 26% of normal patterns respectively. Its statistics for London mirror those being studied in government, which the Guardian understands showed tube travel down 81% compared with a normal day, and bus travel down by 69%. Britain was lagging behind some other countries in the extent of its physical distancing, however. Peak congestion in Milan has fallen by 90%. With thousands of NHS and other key workers throughout London still needing to travel to work, as well as many businesses being advised but not forced to close, a reduced schedule on the tube network meant people being packed together. Finn Brennan, a district organiser for the train drivers’ union Aslef, said London Underground staff were “furious” that tube trains were so busy on Monday. He added: “This is endangering the health of the vital workers who have to use the system. The government must act now to ensure only essential journeys are made.” Away from London, city parks were quieter and people tended to space themselves out on benches, although some could not resist going out in small groups. In Cambridge a couple were spotted taking a punt on the River Cam before the boats were packed away. Children were also seen playing together on the swings in a playground in the city. The news that McDonald’s was closing its restaurants from 7pm on Monday led some people to jump into cars and head to the drive-throughs. Big queues were seen in Birmingham, Wirral, north-west England, Romford in Essex, and Sleaford in Lincolnshire. In Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, staff were forced to manage the queues. Caravan parks and campsites in Wales were closed to visitors on Monday. People visiting Welsh caravan parks or campsites will be asked to return home unless there are exceptional reasons why they should stay. All children’s play areas in Cardiff were closed. A spokesman said: “The risk of transmission from child to child on play equipment is thought to represent too great a risk to the public.” Snowdonia’s national park authority announced the closure of its main car parks following “the busiest visitor weekend in living memory”. The mountain rescue service in England and Wales called on people to stop heading to the hills and taking “unnecessary risks” after national parks were inundated. At the weekend, teams helped search for a five-year-old child missing near waterfalls in south Wales, rescued climbers from Surrey who got into difficulty on Mount Snowdon, and recovered from Kinder Scout in the Peak District a man who had suffered a heart attack. Some rescues were hampered after car parks overflowed and vehicles blocked vital access routes. Mike France, chief executive of Mountain Rescue England and Wales, said it had been a “crazy weekend”. He warned that walkers, cyclists and climbers getting into difficulty might face long waits to be rescued and urged them to stay at home because rescue teams – all made up of volunteers – were being depleted as members went into self-isolation. |