We are all, perhaps, a little envious that New Zealand has declared itself free of the Covid-19 virus and that social distancing is no longer necessary, although borders remain closed to foreigners. Meanwhile, Britain is still struggling to transition from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3 and also struggling to understand the rules and regulations that each of the countries that make up the UK are imposing on easing us out of lockdown.
There is help in the form of a search function created by Ordnance Survey and Natural England. GetOutside collates information from the Government, local authorities and third parties into one source to advise you on what you can and cannot do in particular areas. Pick an area, then choose an activity and the website will advise on the dos and don’ts covering that area and activity.
For example: if you are planning to hike in Caernarvonshire, you will discover that from 1 June you are allowed to meet friends and family from another household in the same local area of not more than five miles outdoors, but beauty and tourist spots remain closed. Private gardens are fine but maintain social distancing. A hike in the South Downs National Park requires you to check that car parks are open and you should have a plan B if the car park is full. Take hand sanitiser with you, read the signs set up by the local authority and maintain social distancing.
Local authorities are still imploring people to respect beauty and tourist spots and crossing borders creates problems. Although distance restrictions have been lifted in England, the message still seems to be to stay local.
