Spending more time outdoors doesn’t just make lockdowns more sustainable, it can also make them less likely. Here's why.
Auckland has a secret weapon in our fight against Covid-19: extraordinary parks. It’s difficult, though not impossible, to catch Covid outdoors. Which is why the Government has moved to open up more opportunities for Aucklanders to socialise and undertake recreation: as long as they ‘take it outside’.
We support this. A systematic review of outdoor transmission of Covid found that you are about 18 times safer outdoors than indoors. Outdoor transmission of Covid remains rare, even with the more infectious Delta variant.
While no one has calculated precisely how infectious Delta is outdoors, it’s likely that the hierarchy of risk remains: whatever you are doing, it will be much safer if you do it outside. Air circulation, sunshine, humidity, they all work to make it tougher for the virus to survive and move around outdoors.
With all the talk of the burden Aucklanders must bear, there is a kernel of good luck here. Blessed with a temperate climate and extraordinary parks and beaches, Aucklanders are particularly well positioned to move more of our lives outdoors while Covid is with us.
Lockdowns, restrictions on our lives, they are tough to sustain successfully for long periods of time. Research shows that those who get outside regularly for exercise and have opportunities for safe social connection (‘social-bridging whilst physical distancing’), cope better with these restrictions.
Supporting people to stay well and to maintain a sense of optimism, trust and feeling of ‘belonging’ is critical to the effectiveness of infection control, because the Covid fight will be prolonged.
A year ago, we imagined the arrival of a vaccine would end the pandemic. Not so – the vaccines now available will save many lives, but for the foreseeable future we will also still likely need to depend, from time to time, on limiting mobility, restricting mixing and occasionally, perhaps, enforcing full lockdowns.
The resilience of communities matters. Boredom, loneliness and isolation are all powerful enemies of public health measures. Those who feel isolated and ‘disconnected’ from their communities, for instance, have been shown to be less likely to follow public health directives like hand-washing and physical distancing during disease outbreaks, and more likely to believe conspiracy theories. Finding and creating safe opportunities for people to meet needs for restoration and connection is an essential part of winning the Covid ‘marathon’ in our cities in particular.
These opportunities are particularly important for the thousands of Aucklanders who live in small and/or crowded homes and apartments. Private green space (for example, a backyard) is a privilege. For many Aucklanders, the region’s parks and beaches are their backyards, and the encouragement to use them more during outbreaks is wise and welcome. Prohibitions on people driving more than 5km from poorer suburbs to wealthier beach suburbs for some sunshine may be necessary for short periods, but rules like this are deeply unfair. Promoting access to high quality natural space for everyone makes Auckland a more equitable city.
Spending more time outdoors doesn’t just make lockdowns more sustainable, it can also make them less likely. Throughout history, cities have had to adapt to cope with infectious disease outbreaks. Covid will be no different. Moving more of our lives outside, creating an outdoor ‘ecosystem’ of open-air activities: from recreation, dining, transport, play, schooling, and social opportunities, will all be part of the new ‘urban hygiene’ to help us prevent as well as manage outbreaks. Many cities overseas have already moved to rearrange their public spaces to prioritise outdoor activities in response to the pandemic.
In addition to vaccination, Aucklanders have a powerful ‘nature-based solution’ at their disposal. Rules still apply: low risk doesn’t mean no risk, so respect the request to meet with only one other household at a time. Physical distancing is still important, and mask use will reduce your risk even further. Aucklanders know how phenomenal our parks and beaches are. The love affair continues.
