People are not allowed to walk their dog and go out again the same day while the coronavirus lockdown is in place, a health chief has said.
New rules mean people can only leave their home for four reasons in an effort to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Brits could go out once a day for exercise, leaving dog owners wondering if they are allowed out twice.
This morning Sarah Scott, director of public health for Gloucestershire County Council, said the answer was an emphatic no, Gloucestershire Live reports.
She told BBC Radio Gloucestershire presenter Mark Cummings: “If you’ve got a dog, particularly a big dog, they do tend to need walking twice a day.
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“So I think if you can, stick to the advice. If you’ve got another family member that could take the dog for a second walk, that’s ideal.
“If you take the dog for a walk without going near anybody, that’s minimising any risk but I think what we saw over the weekend was thousands of people not listening to the government advice which is why this is so stringent.”
Asked again by Mr Cummings if people could take their dog for a walk and go out for a bike ride on the same day, she said: “Not according to the guidance, no.”
The four reasons you can now leave your home are:
- shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible
- one form of exercise a day - for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household
- any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
- travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home
Electricians, plumbers, decorators and handymen have been told to keep working in people's private homes despite the coronavirus lockdown.
The government issued new guidance today confirming domestic work can continue - despite people being ordered to keep out of each other's households to stop infection.
The advice is likely to prompt a furious new row over the lack of protection for self-employed people amid the pandemic.
Millions of people's jobs in pubs, bars, hotels and "non-essential" shops have been shut down as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic with their wages covered by the government.
