Exercise, Animals and Socialising - What we can and cannot do
Updated 11 April 2020
This weekend will be our toughest test yet, it’s Easter, but we must stick to the rules, for the safety of everyone. Yesterday the Police were stopping motorist leaving the village to check the purpose of their journey. Yesterday was the highest increase in Flintshire cases so far. We all know how serious this is, but it is not inevitable that it will strike this community, if we all follow the guidelines.
The overall advice remains - stay home, leave home once a day for exercise - alone or with members of your household - even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home. When out, you must stay 2 metres away from anyone else. Groups of more the 2 people are illegal in public places. If you have symptoms, you must stay at home.
Here is some practical details for what that means here in Penyffordd, Penymynydd and Dobshill. This is a common sense interpretation from the Community Council, following Government guidelines and new laws.
Daily Exercise
We are allowed to leave the home once a day for exercise. The principle is that this should be by walking, running or cycling, alone or with members of your own household. On March 29, Michael Gove warned the public to limit daily walks to a maximum of an hour...saying joggers should limit their runs to 30 minutes.
If you, or anyone in your household, have symptoms, you must not go out.
Where can you go?
The government guidance is to stay local. For us that means stick to the village as far as possible.
The public footpath network through fields and farms should be avoided, including Penyffordd Community Council’s circular walks. There are three reasons:
• the paths cross stiles and gates provide a high risk of contaminating
• Some paths pass close or through farms and farmyards posing additional risk to the farmers (some of our farmers have taken local action and closed footpaths through their farms. Flintshire County Council will officially close them in due course and they will be reopened after this crisis).
• In places on footpaths it can be difficult to ensure a 2 metre separation from others, particularly where there is livestock.
There is some specific Welsh Government guidance around this at the moment, encouraging people to avoid risky activities, to protect livestock and be considerate to farmers. (https://gov.wales/deputy-minister-urges-people-exercise-responsibly).
For the time being, around our village, please avoid the public footpaths and stick to the roads and pavements as far as possible. Penymynydd woods and bridle paths can become busy, if you walk in the woods and there are many other people about, we recommend staying on the road to ensure that you can maintain your separation.
Running and Cycling
If you are a cyclist or runner, you can still only exercise locally and for up to an hour. Maybe this is not a time for a 50 mile cycle trip or half marathon - the guidance is that even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home.
Play Areas
All the play areas in the village are closed. What that means in practice is that the play equipment is out of bounds - because of the risk of contamination. The play areas are also closed to people gathering. They are not a place for a social catch up. However, you can pass through the play areas during exercise and you can exercise a dog (see below).
Animals
Dogs
Many dog walkers usually take their dogs outside the village for long walks and runs and at the moment that is not possible.
The Government say that you can walk your dog once a day combined with your daily exercise. You are not allowed to walk your dog for an hour and then go for a run or cycle.
You should keep your dog on a lead, or under control, to ensure that you can maintain 2 metre separation at all times. If you have a breed that has to be exercised off the lead, you can do that in open spaces as long as you have control and can maintain separation. If you exercise the dog on the play areas at Dobshill or close to the Youth Club on the Groves etc. your dog must be under control, away from play equipment and, as always, any mess is cleared up.
Use the bridle paths, maintaining 2 metre distance. There are bridle paths at the top of Penyffordd, down to Stryt Isa, at the top of Penymynydd linking to Old Hope Road and off Bannel Lane, linking to Dobshill.
Many people exercise their dogs on the fields on Vounog. The farmer has allowed this, but all of the comments so far apply - if it is busy move on and keep your dog on a lead.
As with all advice, if it is busy anywhere, move on. We are all trying to avoid contact with each other.
If you have any symptoms, you (or anyone in your household) must not walk your dog, you need to ask someone else to do it - we have a volunteer network if you do not have someone who can do this.
Cats
There is no official advice or recommendations at this time relating to cats.
Horses
You are allowed to tend to your horse as part of your daily exercise routine. If your horse is in livery, you must delegate care to the livery.
Very well written guidance about horse care and exercise from the British Horse Society.
“Our strong advice is that it is not appropriate to put unnecessary pressure on the emergency services now or for the foreseeable future. It is incumbent on all of us to make an individual decision as to whether riding is necessary at all, at this time.”
https://www.bhs.org.uk/advice-and-info…/coronavirus-covid-19
Vets
Trips to the vet must be limited to emergencies.
Social Contact
This is where common sense really comes to the fore.
The rules across the UK are clear.
• You cannot visit friends
• You cannot visit relatives
• No one should come into your home who does not live there
• The advice is to use the telephone or technology to communicate
You are allowed to take shopping or medical supplies to self-isolating or vulnerable people including relatives.
We are in a semi-rural location and the temptation is to be more lax or to judge neighbours.
This is an interpretation of what should be expected here:
Sitting in your garden and having a quick chat to passers by is fine while they are on their daily exercise - as long as the passers by do not make it difficult for other people to maintain a 2 metre distance (i.e. by blocking the path).
Talking to neighbours, garden to garden or door to door, is fine as long as you are more than 2 metres apart.
Having friends or family round in your garden is not OK. That is a social gathering and that is clearly not allowed.
Meeting up with friends or family on a walk or run is not allowed. You are only allowed out of the house for exercise once a day for up to an hour with members of your own household.
The overwhelming response here has been excellent. The vast majority of residents understand and are respecting the guidance. We have to keep it up to stay safe and protect our vital NHS resources.
Thank you - Happy Easter!
Call NHS Direct Wales 0845 46 47 if you have any health concerns that are not COVID related
Call 111 if you have COVID symptoms.
Official guidance here:
UK Government official Information
Welsh Government Guidance
https://gov.wales/staying-home-and-away-others-guidance