Southwark Parks restricted access

Southwark have finally done the right thing and announced that any parks, park cafes, play parks, tennis courts etc that can be locked, will be locked.

It doesn?t say that. It says that areas within parks that can be locked will be locked. Playgrounds, skate parks etc. Looks like parks will remain open for the moment.

Some parks cannot be locked, Peckham Rye being one, Clapham Common...

Amended. Apologies, I?ve seen a few conflicting messages on Twitter, plus ca change!!

I'm trying to find out what the government said about exercise. I'm sure I remember either encouraging it, or not discouraging it (and those who are isolating can exercise around the house and garden). Useful to get some factual information about our open spaces. But please refrain from commenting about the rights and wrongs 'done the right thing'. Let the authorities decide on this.

If you?d seen how busy the park has been this weekend you wouldn?t be questioning it. No social distancing at all. And the Local Authority has decided.

The lunatics have taken over the asylum big time.

Excellent news. Very simple people don?t know how to behave because we?re such a self entitled society

This action will save more lives.

Hi malibu,

The chief scientist said to still exercise but only while still social distancing.

Council leader tweeted -

Those playgrounds and spaces in @lb_southwark

parks which can be locked will be locked and not re-opened after tonight. Park cafes will also be closed completely.

STAY HOME unless it?s absolutely necessary to go out. Your choice could be the difference between life & death.

He probably should have stated lockable parks are locked shut until further notice. It does not help that central government are failing to lock London down as avoidable deaths are likely when hospitals overflow from contacts from this weekend and last week come home to roost.

This worries me. We went to the park at 8.15 this morning and managed to stay away from people. I got my 3 & 5 year olds playing football on an empty tennis court. Why lock the parks? Limit no.s, and social distance, but people have to exercise. I?ve already heard some devastating stories about how isolation is impacting mental health. Forcing people to only exercise on the street or the limited areas that can?t be locked like Peckham Rye will just force people to be closer.

Today I walked my dog in the park. Lots of people out and about but avoiding each other -I would say a good 3 metres apart.

will continue in this manner until we are instructed otherwise.

handwashing at every opportunity and working from home (luckeily in a position to do so.

Italy and Spain are watching us with horror. They know only total isolation will get this thing under control!

Why are we so intent on not listening? I was totally freaked out by the number of people yesterday not avoiding me that I walked in the road, and have stayed in today.

The last 2 posts are obviously doing the right thing, but we are only as strong as the weakest link, and boy are there a tonne of them around!

Could it also be the case that because of the ever present rumours that London will be locked down, it caused a rush on the parks and open spaces similar to the panic buying at the supermarket? And that this will calm down if people still have access to open spaces? It would be hugely detrimental for people living in flats without any outside space to lock the parks completely.

The majority of the people I saw in the park were practising social distancing(absolutely no signs up anywhere from the council with guidance or information, which would probably be helpful) and it?s a good idea to close the cafes and playgrounds.

The point is, as devastating as poor mental health issues are , if we don't start practicing advised social distancing many more people will die. I saw 2 girl friends hugging today, couples with other couples strolling along very close together etc etc. All intelligent looking people acting like complete and utter selfish numpties. Transmission of this virus comes from cough or sneezing droplets, which is easier to avoid and easier to spot, the danger comes from the unknown symptomless transmission. Don't be thick, keep your distance. Take care too.

The reality is that not enough people are taking this seriously enough, and government and local authorities have no other option than to force compliance. There is no other way to beat a virus for which we have neither effective treatment nor vaccine.

On mental health. This is going to be a real challenge on so many levels for many people.

There are still lots of things people can do without congregating in groups for fresh air and exercise. And the internet is going also to be a lifeline for lots of people. We have to help each other to find ways to get through it.

22/03, Number of reported UK covid 19 infections, 5683

22/03, Number of UK covid 19 deaths, 281

% of UK covid 19 deaths, 4.944% and gradually rising, tomorrow its likely to be in excess of 5%, i.e. 5 in every 100 infected people have died.

People really should only be using the park for walking/running and not in groups. Everyone would hate an Italy style lockdown but if people continue to congregate in parks as replacement for the pub/cafe, then we'll get a lockdown.

The UK was blessed with the most sunniest weather this weekend, which coincided with our first weekend of social distancing. This is going to be a massive shitter for those UK Coronavirus stats in the next few days.

I?d like to hear from some of those out and about mixing and socialising and not practising social distancing yesterday to try to understand their thought processes. How do they justify or explain their behaviour?

Hi ddboy,

AS UK is not avidly testing we don't know the exact percentage but those under 50 yo 2% Imperial College have said will need hospital treatment and overall mortality rate is believe to be around 1% - still humongous. Those over 70 mortality rate of those infected is much higher as Imperial

But of course 2% of a huge population would flood and overwhelm any health system. UK government should be sharing forecasts based on current behaviours daily to drive home the message. And perhaps it should be physical distancing rather than social distancing which really hasn't been an effective message.

22/03, Number of reported UK covid 19 infections, 5683

22/03, Number of UK covid 19 deaths, 281

% of UK covid 19 deaths, 4.944% and gradually rising, tomorrow its likely to be in excess of 5%, i.e. 5 in every 100 infected people have died.

No - this is simply wrong - the only people being tested at the moment, because of kit shortages, are those admitted to hospital and a few who are still at home but whose acute symptoms have continued for over a week. These are estimated to be about 10% of all actual cases (based on other countries' experiences)- so the UK infection rate is likely to be about 57,000 - with a death rate on that basis of around 0.5% - still dreadful of course, but not as dreadful.

And as for the Southwark 'peak' - deaths are being registered for these statistics where they occur, I imagine - Southwark has a very important hospital in Kings and it is quite likely (I have no figures for this, but it's a reasonable assumption) that people are dying in Kings who aren't Southwark residents. So the actual Southwark figures may be less (other boroughs with high rates are also hosts to key hospitals, I have noticed).

Until we have good statistics (which we don't at the moment, except for deaths) I wouldn't get too bogged down in the numbers - what we do know is that proper social isolation will reduce both infections and deaths, and that's what we should be focused on.

Penguin68 Wrote:

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> And as for the Southwark 'peak' - deaths are being

> registered for these statistics where they occur,

> I imagine - Southwark has a very important

> hospital in Kings and it is quite likely (I have

> no figures for this, but it's a reasonable

> assumption) that people are dying in Kings who

> aren't Southwark residents. So the actual

> Southwark figures may be less (other boroughs with

> high rates are also hosts to key hospitals, I have

> noticed).

Kings is in Lambeth, not Southwark.

Kings serves lambeth, bromley and southwark but I thought it was physically based in Camberwell, LBO Southwark?

Can I just correct one point above Admin,because it is important.

Penguin, all mortality rates for infectious illness are calculated from known cases, and those namely presenting for treatment. The 0.1 percent mortality rate for flu is calculated in exactly the same way. COVID is at least 30 times more deadly that that. The mortality rate at present is showing as anywhere between 3 and 7 per cent. When compared to recovered cases only, it is getting up to 9 per cent. Not out of line with SARS CoV 1 that had a mortality rate of 10 per cent. It is really important to not downplay the figures because of the number of unknown cases. That is not how mortality rates are calculated.

first mate Wrote:

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> Kings serves lambeth, bromley and southwark but I

> thought it was physically based in Camberwell, LBO

> Southwark?

Kings is in Lambeth. The Maudsley is in Southwark. Boundary runs down Denmark Hill