Starving in his by neighbour

MSP warns public to“stay local”after Strathy scenes

Motherwell and Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson has urged constituents to ‘stay local’ if they are out exercising and walking dogs.

The MSP outlined her concerns following reports which showed flocks of people driving to Strathclyde Country Park going against both the UK and Scottish Government measures.

Official advice from the governments are that people should not be driving somewhere to exercise or walk their dog.

And there have been new powers granted to police to enforce these rules.

One hour of daily exercise is a permissible reason to leave the house during lockdown but this must be done in your local area.

The MSP has highlighted that to protect yourself and others from illness and to save lives, people should not be driving to green spaces such as Strathclyde Park.

Ms Adamson said: “I understand that this is an uncertain time.

“People are worried about these stringent measures and how it is impacting their life.

“Naturally, as we adapt to these new, more confining measures, exercise is extremely important for people’s physical and mental wellbeing.

“And as the weather improves, the desire to be outside is understandable after a long Scottish winter.

“But we must not be flippant about it. The point of these measures is to contain the spread of the virus and save lives.

“You should only be outside for a reasonable purpose – buying food or essential household or medical supplies; travelling to or carrying out essential work; exercising once a day; or providing care or assistance to others.

“It is vital to stay local when leaving the house for these necessary purposes.

“Going further afield increases the risk of spreading the virus to people in other communities.

“There is no excuse for the build-up of traffic we saw at Strathclyde Country Park over the weekend.

“This about saving lives and protecting our public services.

“This is an unprecedented situation and as such, we need an unprecedented response.

“The Scottish Government will act to remove these restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so but we all have a duty to act responsibly in the interim.”