Can sunbathing spread the virus and do we need more restrictions?

Yesterday morning, Matt Hancock warned that “sunbathing is against the rules” and accused those who were lolling in public parks this weekend of “putting others’ lives at risk”.

The Health Secretary even indicated that outdoor exercise would be banned entirely if the public did not stop flagrant displays of sun worshipping, a threat branded “deeply worrying” by health experts, who said ministers looked increasingly “out of touch”.

But can sunbathing put people’s lives at risk? Does the science back up the need for more draconian restrictions on outdoor movement? Put simply, it does not.

One well-known scientist, who was keen not to contradict government advice on the record, told The Telegraph that there was currently no evidence that coronavirus had ever been transmitted outdoors, while there was abundant evidence of indoor transmission. If people maintain social distancing, and those who have symptoms stay indoors, the risk of any virus being passed on outdoors is very low, said the expert.

It has been pointed out that more people out sunbathing leads to increased touching of gates and railings, or even greater use of public transport to get to parks and beaches, potentially spreading the virus. Yet that is also true for runners and walkers who are using the same areas.

While it is understandable that the Government wants to keep social contact to a minimum, unscientific restrictions on practices that do not spread the virus are in danger of making people question sensible advice.

And if that happens the public will stop complying with the things that really can make a difference, such as good hygiene, social distancing and self-isolating.

Up to now the public has been very supportive of the restrictions, with new research from 50,000 responses to the Evergreen Life health app showing widespread compliance.

Arun in West Sussex had the highest rates of compliance at 98.4 per cent, followed by Ryedale, North Yorkshire, at 98.2 per cent. Even in the worst area of Middlesbrough – where 25 per cent of people are not complying – it is still within the Government’s target of 75 per cent.

Yet when Mr Hancock threatened to ban outdoor exercise, the first major rumblings of dissent could be widely felt, with people on social media threatening to boycott a stricter lockdown and public health experts warning it could cause a mental health time bomb.

Others argued it was vastly unfair for those living in inner-city flats and high-rises not to be allowed access to public spaces when most ministers making the decisions have private gardens.

Experts are correct to warn that if people stop adhering to social distancing on public transport or at outdoor venues then the virus will be transmitted more widely.

But maybe it is time to put more faith in the public and tell them the truth about what can and cannot stop the transmission. Like the Queen, the Government must trust in Britons’ own “self-discipline” to do the right thing.