No links to Covid on packed beaches

NOT a single case of Covid has been linked to crowded beaches during the pandemic.

People flocking to hotspots including Brighton and Dorset drew outrage last summer.

But Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, told a Science and Technology Committee: ‘There’s never been a Covid-19 outbreak linked to a beach ever anywhere in the world to the best of my knowledge.’

He said mass gatherings like horse racing are different as there are ‘pinch points’ like refreshment facilities and no social distancing.

Do we need to nag? Mounted officers chat to sunseekers in the North East – but others covered beach with litter