So now we know what is and isn't allowed. Well, if the CPS says so, it must be so...
The Crown Prosecution Service has produced guidance about what constitutes a reasonable excuse to be outside the home during the lockdown.
It follows confusion caused in part by a difference between government statements and emergency laws. The guidance has been reproduced and published by the College of Policing, and the National Police Chiefs Council.
According to the document, meant to inform police officers enforcing the lockdown, the following are examples of reasonable excuses to be outside the home:
An explanatory note says:
Examples of excuses that are not reasonable include:
The Crown Prosecution Service has produced guidance about what constitutes a reasonable excuse to be outside the home during the lockdown.
It follows confusion caused in part by a difference between government statements and emergency laws. The guidance has been reproduced and published by the College of Policing, and the National Police Chiefs Council.
According to the document, meant to inform police officers enforcing the lockdown, the following are examples of reasonable excuses to be outside the home:
- Buying several days’ worth of food, including luxury items and alcohol.
- Collecting surplus basic food items from a friend.
- Going for a run or cycle or practicing yoga.
- Walking in the countryside or in cities.
- Attending an allotment.
- Driving to countryside and walking (where far more time is spent walking than driving).
- Stopping to rest or to eat lunch while on a long walk.
- Buying tools and supplies to repair a fence panel damaged in recent bad weather.
- Taking an animal for treatment.
- Moving to a friend’s address for several days to allow a ‘cooling-off’ following arguments at home.
An explanatory note says:
The Regulations allow people to move house. This means that individuals can move between households. But this should be a genuine move (ie. measured in days, not hours).
Examples of excuses that are not reasonable include:
- Buying paint and brushes, simply to redecorate a kitchen.
- Driving for a prolonged period with only brief exercise.
- A short walk to a park bench, when the person remains seated for a much longer period.
- A person who can work from home choosing to work in a local park.
- A person knocking on doors offering to do cash in-hand work.
- Visiting a vet’s surgery in person to renew a prescription (where this could be done over the phone).
- Visiting a friend in their address or meeting in public to socialise.