A visitor was issued with a fixed-penalty notice after travelling more than 100 miles to Keswick, the town’s mayor has revealed.
The man, from Liverpool, had been identified by a traffic officer on patrol and received an on-the-spot £60 fine, reduced to £30 if paid within two weeks, said Cllr David Burn in his latest weekly lockdown message.
It follows his comments last week about the Crown Prosecution Service’s guide to help police officers on what constitutes a “reasonable excuse” for people to leave their home during the pandemic. He says: “I mentioned that ‘driving to the countryside and walking (where more time is spent walking than driving)’ is likely to be reasonable. I have been contacted by several people who have been alarmed by this guidance, which implies that people can drive from northern cities to Cumbria as long as they do a long walk when they get here.
“I can now offer some reassurance on this point as the police have told me this week that they are following the guidance from the Government, which remains that ‘exercise should be done locally, using open spaces near to your home where possible and people should travel only when necessary and for a short distance’. I was also told that a male from Liverpool travelled to our area last week, had been identified by a traffic officer on patrol, and had been given a fixed-penalty notice for his actions.”
The mayor also praised staff at local care and nursing homes along with NHS workers for their work during the pandemic, in some cases battling against coronavirus here in Keswick.
He added: “Many of us in Keswick stand outside on Thursday evenings and applaud our NHS workers but Millfield Care Home and Nether Place Nursing Home also deserve our thanks and support.
“I have spoken to both this week and Val Loan, manager at Millfield, told me that the 41 staff and 43 residents there are in good spirits and are completely Covid-19-free. Visitors are not allowed at present but residents are able to have FaceTime and phone contact with their friends and relatives and some ‘garden wall’ conversations (social-distancing) took place during the good weather. District nurses come into the home only in emergencies and staff are now doing routine injections and dressings.
“Nether Place, with its 22 staff and 26 residents, has not been so fortunate and there have been some cases of Covid-19. Residents are isolated if they are showing signs of having the virus and whereas there have been difficulties in getting tests done, things have eased this week. Residents with symptoms or who have tested positive are restricted to their room but other residents are able to use the communal areas. Visitors are not allowed at present (unless a resident is gravely ill) but those who can are keeping in touch with friends and family by phone.
“I think that staff in these homes are doing an amazing job and that our applause should be for them too.”
