Covid Woman tells of shock at seeing play area ‘crowds’
ADOG walker says she was “shocked” to see families crowding a Cheltenham park with no apparent social distancing.
The woman, who asked not to be named, claimed she saw “about 100” children and parents at the Pittville Park children’s play area on Sunday.
She said she had driven to the park just off Evesham Road at about 11am in search of a wide-open space in which to walk her pets.
The woman said: “I thought I wouldn’t come across too many people. When I parked up I was shocked by the crowds of people in the children’s play park – there must have been about 100 people in there, if not more.”
She said parents and children were mixing in close proximity to each other.
She added: “They were all crowded around the slides and climbing frames; no social distancing.
“Four women were all sat on the bench together, watching their kids from afar, having a chat and a coffee – no care in the world, like Covid wasn’t such a thing.”
The woman was particularly upset given the impact coronavirus has had on her own family.
Her brother is severely disabled and she said they feared they were going to “lose him” this week because his condition had deteriorated and he had struggled to access the care he needed.
She explained: “No one can get hold of the specialist. Because of Covid-19, the hospital didn’t want to know, wanted him away from there, wouldn’t see him, wouldn’t give him the treatment that he needs.
“He’s tube-fed and no one was around for him to be seen.”
Seeing people crowding together has exacerbated her frustration.
Under the current national lockdown rules, outdoor playgrounds are allowed to remain open.
Cheltenham Borough Council, which owns and maintains public spaces, including Pittville Park play area, previously told the Echo that it had signs at its parks advising people on how to use them safely.
The rules it specifies on the signs are:
» Do not enter the play area if you have any Covid-19 symptoms.
» One parent/guardian per child in a fenced area, where possible.
» One person or family group per piece of play equipment or seat, unless stated otherwise.
» Sanitise or wipe down equipment, where possible.
Two-metre social distancing at times.
Sanitise or wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your mouth.
» Follow one-way arrows and queuing markers.
No eating or drinking in the play area.
Playgrounds were closed during the first lockdown, but they were allowed to reopen in July.
Local authorities took different decisions about when it was safe to reopen, with some councils delaying their reopening for much longer than others.
In Cheltenham, playgrounds reopened at the earliest opportunity but with some changes. At Pittville Park, these included the removal of some swings and one-way markings being put in place. all