1. Home
  2.  » 
  3. Commentary
  4.  » Do as we say: ‘It is not a request, it is a requirement’

Health Secretary Matt Hancock warns the government will ban ‘all forms’ of outdoor exercise if a ‘small minority’ of people continue to refuse to stay at home as he blasts sunbathers for flouting lockdown rules

  • Matt Hancock today took aim at a ‘small minority’ of people breaking lockdown
  • Health Secretary said it is ‘quite unbelievable’ people are not staying at home
  • UK’s green spaces and beaches filled up with people yesterday sparking fury
  • Mr Hancock said UK will ban outdoor exercise if people do not stay at home 
  • He also said it will be ‘hard’ to hit 100,000 coronavirus tests by end of April
  • He also insisted Boris Johnson is ‘okay’ despite still being in virus self-isolation

Matt Hancock. Click to enlarge

Jack Maidment – Daily Mail April 5, 2020

Matt Hancock today blasted sunbathers for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules as he warned the government will ban ‘all forms’ of outdoor exercise if a ‘small minority’ refuse to stay at home.

The Health Secretary said it was ‘quite unbelievable’ some people are still not following government guidance and stressed the plea not to go outside apart from in very specific circumstances was ‘not a request, it is a requirement’.

A number of other countries have banned outdoor exercise in a bid to slow the spread of the disease and Mr Hancock said the government is willing to take the same action if people do not comply with existing restrictions.

He said: ‘My message is really clear: If you don’t want us to have to take the step to ban exercise of all forms outside of your own home, then you have got to follow the rules.

‘The vast majority of people are following the rules. Let’s not have a minority spoiling it for everybody.’

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson repeated the importance of staying at home this morning as he tweeted he knows it is ‘tough’ but it will mean ‘saving lives’.

Mr Hancock and Mr Johnson’s interventions came after a south London park was shut indefinitely yesterday after 3,000 people visited ‘despite clear advice’ not to as green spaces and beaches across the UK filled up.

Mr Hancock told Sky News: ‘It is quite unbelievable frankly to see that there are some people who are not following the advice.’

The government has said that people should only leave their home for food, for medicine, for exercise or to get to work if they absolutely cannot work from where they live.

Continues …