Coronavirus restrictions: are they legal

[Lindsayt]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52011928

Is this legal?

Can the police really impose fines on citizens doing things that were previously perfectly legal?
Just on the say so of Boris Johnson?

What Act of Parliament gives the police these powers?
If there is no Act of Parliament, how can this be legal?

[TheMarlin]

You could always purposely defy it, and report back.
The police were asked to enforce this in Italy, they’re not messing about, and if you’re in the street, expect an ambulance ride.

[Chunk McDaniel]

I don't care if they are legal or not. Unless you have been living under a rock and not seen the damage this virus is doing if allowed to spread quickly unchecked. Why would you even question the legality? This is to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed and being unable to cope with a huge spike of infected people all at one time causing people to die unnecessarily. Wake up man!

[Docfoster]

My understanding is that you’re safe from arrest until the legislation all passes (probably Thursday). Democracy and the rule of law still applies.
Tho you may find that police gently intervene before that.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52004116

Seems to be a significant majority in favour of life over liberty in this instance?

[Docfoster]

My understanding is also that in an uncontrolled environment, coronavirus infects on average 3 new people per case, whereas Flu’s figure is 1.4.
Please check the maths, but I think that means in 10 generations flu infects 29 new people, and covid infects 59,000.
Add to that that mortality rate for covid is reckoned to be 1% whereas flu is 0.1%, and we can see where some of the scientific, medical and government concern is coming from.

[savvypaul]

The question is not so much whether the measures are legal but whether the government has done enough to make the measures viable for people to comply with?

Where is the support for the self employed? Where is the support for businesses that dont fall into the categories that will qualify for grants and loans?

A large number will be destitute within weeks or even days. They will have no income and their only fallback will be a Universal Credit system that is already considered broken and will take 6 weeks to provide anything, probably a lot longer.

For those people, COVID-19 is not the most immediate threat to life.

[Latteman]

I don't care if they are legal or not. Unless you have been living under a rock and not seen the damage this virus is doing if allowed to spread quickly unchecked. Why would you even question the legality? This is to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed and being unable to cope with a huge spike of infected people all at one time causing people to die unnecessarily. Wake up man!

[karatestu]

What each person does is down to their own moral compass to some extent. Some have been doing the new measures for a while now (including myself) and we all need to do what we can.

Sod the economy, human life is much more valuable to me . As both myself and my wife are key workers we could have sent our kids to school but we have chosen not to and so they are at home and my wife is working from home. You can take the government measures even further. For example i am having no physical contact with my wife. I kiss the kids on top of their head and have a couple of cuddles a day. My hands are wrecked with all the washing.

Everybody must take this virus very seriously. It is not just the over 70's and people with underlying conditions that are getting hospitalised. If you have to go to hospital needing ICU and there are not enough ventilator's then it could be game over. Not a chance I am willing to take for myself or any of my family. My wife's parents are thankfully self isolating for a lengthy time but if they didn't then I would be round with the six inch nails to nail their doors closed.

[Fretless]

The Dutch govt have tightened restrictions here as people were going in masses to beaches and parks. Even holding 'Sod the Corona' parties. Fines are being imposed for any grouping larger than 3 persons, all public events have been banned until 1 june, people are expected to use their common sense in not spreading the virus unnecessarily.

In all supermarkets & DIY stores the cashiers are sitting behind plexiglass screens and cash transactions are not being accepted. Payment preferably with contactless passes or smartphones.

Next step is total lockdown.

[CN211276]

I am lucky in that I am retired and shielded from the economic effects. On the contary I am saving a lot of money with my social life ended, holidays cancelled and an insurance claim on the way. However being stuck in the house all day every day would drive me nuts. I will continue to go for walks, permitted exercise, but will keep a two metre distance from people as most others seem to be doing.
I like to go sea fishing and this is a grey area because it can be interpreted as taking a walk and exercise. Furthermore, Cardiff foreshore has been described as the ugliest beach in the world with very restricted and limited access. When the steel works was demolished the debris was dumped there and it resembles a bomb site. There could not be many more secluded locations where you are less likely to catch the virus or pass it on. Have been looking at posts on angling forums and the general concensus is that althogh you are not going ot spread the virus an accident would have implications for the under pressure emergency services. I am therefore inclined to give it a miss until things settle down. A limited supply of bait in the freezer being a consideratiion. A shame as I have caught fish this month after a succession of blanks.