Calls for visitors not to travel to resort for exercise
COUNCILLOR URGES PEOPLE TO STAY IN THEIR LOCAL AREA
A CLEETHORPES councillor is calling on people to not venture out in their car for exercise and to stay local during lockdown. Following the large crowds spotted walking along Cleethorpes’ Central Promenade over the weekend, Councillor Oliver Freeston has come forward to ask people to think of others like they did during the first lockdown.
As people are people urged to stay at home, the rules for exercise say you should stay in your “local area”, which many consider as places that you can walk to from your home. However, the definition of staying local appears to be a confusing message for some, as was seen at the weekend when people were travelling from outside of North East Lincolnshire, from places such as Scunthorpe or Doncaster to enjoy Cleethorpes beach. Councillor Freeston is asking people to think first as he warns the police could potentially monitor traffic coming in and out of the resort - and hand out fines for those not considered local enough. He said: “If we were really going to crack down on people travelling out of town to visit Cleethorpes, one creative way for me would be the police to monitor number plates to see which people have travelled from out of town and issue fines to those that have travelled.
“The bollards that were put in place last year could be another option, but there’s nothing stopping people parking elsewhere and walking down to the beach. “We’ve just lost our sense of togetherness, really. At the start of the first lockdown we were all staying at home, applauding the NHS, and doing our best to stop the spread of Covid-19. We need to work together to keep cases down in our area. It’s unusual for a Cleethorpes councillor to tell you to avoid Cleethorpes beach and putting money into the town, but it’s what we need right now.
“When it comes to exercise, you shouldn’t take the mick with it and just head out to your nearby parks and other walking routes in your local area. You shouldn’t really be driving to go and exercise.”
The councillor admits, however, that there will be people who will still visit the beach, and has offered additional advice so they can stay safe while exercising.
He said: “But no matter what people are told, there will always be those who will walk down and visit the beach regardless. If you do, just try and be sensible when you go. “Just avoiding peak times and choosing quieter areas of the beach to walk along will make a big difference. You could wrap up warm and go for an evening stroll and you will avoid coming into contact with many people.
“But I know there are a lot of people in my age group, and people that are under 40 and less at-risk, who think they are invincible and can do what they want.
“You might be fine, or have a couple of mild symptoms, but you could pass it onto those who you are close to, such as elderly family members. All it takes is just one family member to get it and you will regret your behaviour.
“We just need to stay safe, keep the virus under control, and wait for the vaccine to start having a big
impact. We need to find our togetherness to keep people safe.” Geoff Barnes, deputy director of Public Health, has also called for people to stay local when exercising. He said: “We are doing everything we can to keep the numbers of Covid infections in North East Lincolnshire low.
“We appreciate the restrictions are hard, but people should only go out for essential reasons, or to exercise once a day, and people should always keep local.
“By following the guidelines, we will all contribute to the national lockdown effort and protect our NHS and care service from getting overwhelmed.”