Covid, lockdown: the list of excuses to be outside confirmed by police

A detailed list of all the excuses to go out during the lockdown has been published by the NPCC.

The new guidelines for police officers to preserve people due to lockdown have issued. There is a list of reasonable excuses so people know when and why they can go out during Covid-19 lockdown. As you know, Dominic Raab extended the lockdown for another three weeks, until May 7.

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The list of reasonable excuses to be outside

Now, police have the lists issued by the National Police Chief’s Council and College of Policing [NPCC].

The NPCC said the list will help officers interpret the advice from the government.

Shopping

What you can do:

• Buy several days’ worth of food, including luxury items and alcohol;
• Buy a small amount of a staple item or necessity (for example a newspaper, pet food, a loaf of bread or pint of milk);
• Collect surplus basic food items from a friend;
• Buy tools and supplies to repair a fence panel damaged in bad weather;
• If you’re out on your weekly shop, you won’t be stopped from browsing the “non-essential” aisles;

The document adds that people have a reason to visit shops as long as they’re open so it’s not appropriate to stop them purchasing items considered to be “non-essentials”.

What you can’t do:

• Police say it is not reasonable to pop out for DIY supplies so you can do up your kitchen, for example;

Exercise

What is allowed:

• Going for a run or cycle, practicing yoga, walking in the countryside or in cities or attending an allotment;
• Driving to the countryside and walking (where far more time is spent walking than driving);
• Stopping to rest or to eat lunch while on a long walk;
• In some circumstances, exercising more than once per day;

What isn’t allowed:

• Driving for a prolonged period with an only brief exercise;
• A short walk to a park bench, when the person remains seated for a much longer period;
• Sunbathing in parks is not permitted, but taking a rest during a workout outdoors is permitted;

Work

What you can do:

• Key workers or other essential workers can travel to work where it is not reasonably possible to work from home;
• Some non-key workers or non-essential key-workers can travel to work where it is not reasonably possible to work from home;
• Deliver food packages to vulnerable people;

What you cannot do:

• People who can work from home choosing to work in a local park;
• Knock on doors offering to do cash-in-hand work;
• The government has clarified who counts as a key worker and is allowed to travel to work or bring their children to school during the day;

However, some non-key workers have been allowed to travel if they are unable to work from home or if their employer requires them to come in.

Other reasons to leave home

What you can do:

• • Go to the vet for essential treatment;
  • Move to a friend’s address for several days to allow a “cooling-off” following arguments at home;
  • Provide support to vulnerable people;

What you cannot do:

• • Visit 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;