Stay home and keep local this Easter weekend – “Please don’t drive to our parks”

Residents across the county borough are being urged to stick guidelines and to “stay at home” over the Easter weekend.

It comes after police reports of a “worrying increase” in people driving to visit the country parks and open spaces across the area, along with a rising death toll in Wales and the rest of the UK due to the highly contagious virus.

In a statement Council Chief Executive Ian Bancroft and Council Leader Mark Pritchard, said: “Most of us realise that by leaving our homes as little as possible, we’re helping to protect the NHS and save lives.

“But there’s still a big concern across the UK that too many people are congregating in our parks and open spaces at the weekends.

“The Government says you can leave home once-a-day to exercise, whether that means walking the dog, going for a run or whatever helps keep you active and healthy.

“But it doesn’t mean getting in a car and driving to one of our parks. There’s no way anyone should be doing that, because the Government has made it clear that we should all ‘stay local’ when we exercise.”

“Last weekend, police officers reported a worrying increase in people driving to some of our parks in Wrexham.

“Let’s make sure it doesn’t happen this weekend.

“Please don’t drive to our parks.”

Despite the written UK Government guidance (as below) there is some belligerent entitlement around with some people waiting for further specific legislation before they take it upon themselves to help protect their local community and the Maelor hospital, or even picking and choosing what advice they are going to follow. Recently such inaction by some in society has meant new laws have been brought in, with taking reasonable actions to ensure 2m guidance in the workplace now a legal requirement in Wales.

Yesterday a Welsh Government Minister pointed out that peoples “actions & decisions over bank holiday weekend and in coming weeks and months will shape Wales for years to come”.

Please use the following guidance in order to stay safe:

• stay local and use open spaces near to your home where possible – do not travel unnecessarily
• you should only go outside alone or with members of your own household
• keep at least 2 metres apart from anyone outside your household at all times
• gatherings of more than two in parks or other public spaces have been banned and the police will enforce this
• if you have a garden, make use of the space for exercise and fresh air
• take hygiene precautions when you are outside, and wash your hands as soon as you are back indoors
• if walking your dog in areas used by other people, you should walk your dog on a lead to ensure you can safely keep 2 metres away from others. You can find further guidance for pet owners here