SSunshine, bright blue sky, temperatures of more than 30 degrees Celsius – but the swimming pools and beer gardens in Great Britain are still closed. A trip to one of the beautiful sandy beaches on the canal coast is the only alternative. Apparently tens of thousands of Brits thought this in the past few days and have overrun easily accessible beaches around Bournemouth in Dorset.
People were packed close together in the sand and swam in the waves, equipped with umbrellas, grills and air mattresses. The access roads to Bournemouth were completely blocked for hours, parking lots crowded, sanitary facilities at the limit.
Up to Birmingham, at least three hours away by car, the sun worshipers came to the beaches due to the heat wave. Maintaining the current corona distance of two meters was almost impossible in the crowd.
In Bournemouth, the city council finally knew how to help itself other than to trigger a “major incident” to get the situation under control again. This emergency ordinance gives emergency services more rights and options to intervene.
“We have been horrified by the scenes on our beaches in the past 24 to 48 hours,” said Vikki Slade, head of the local government. She denounced anti-social behavior on a large scale. “The irresponsible behavior of so many people is simply shocking.” The city issued 558 fines for incorrect parking, a record. 41 tons of garbage were collected on the beaches within 24 hours.
“We urge you to stay away from the Bournemouth Beach area and other beaches in Dorset,” said Sam de Reya, deputy chief of police for Dorset. A complete closure of the beaches is difficult, admitted Tobias Ellwood, the conservative MP for the region.
But at least at the access roads and train stations, the situation must be warned more clearly. He complained that the area had been “flooded” and that no one was concerned about distance rules.
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If the British still don’t adhere to the distance rules, the Covid 19 case numbers could skyrocket again, warned Chris Whitty, chief of the country’s health authority. “Of course people want to enjoy the sun now, but we have to do it in a way that is safe for everyone.”
Health Minister Matt Hancock announced on Friday morning that he could not rule out the complete closure of beaches. Basically, he was “reluctant” to take this step because “people had a pretty hard time during the curfew”. But if the number of infections should rise again, action must be taken accordingly.
Britain is among the hardest hit by Covid-19 countries worldwide. On Thursday, 149 Britons died of the new virus again, bringing the total number of corona deaths to 43,230. Data on mortality in the country paint an even darker picture.
Riots in London
The government has also relaxed the curfew more slowly than many other countries in Europe. Businesses that are not system-relevant have only been allowed to open again since June 15, and many have not yet started trading again. Stricter rules apply in some parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Lockdown fatigue is becoming increasingly apparent in parts of the population. The sun worshipers in Bournemouth are just one example of the past few days.
In the Brixton district of London, there were significant clashes with the police on Wednesday evening during an unauthorized music event. 22 officers were injured. The following night there were two clashes with the police in the capital when officials in Notting Hill and Streatham dissolved illegal street events.
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Illegal raves and violence against police officers are also increasingly reported from other parts of the country. And parks across the country are cramped by the crowds of sun-seekers and people who meet for a drink in the evening.
A few days ago, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the end of the “hibernation” for the country. From July 4th, pubs, restaurants and cafés may also reopen under certain conditions. Swimming pools and sports centers remain closed.
After the wild scenes on beaches and at street parties, there is now growing concern in the country that “Super Saturday”, as the next opening date will be called, could lead to even larger riots.
Thunderstorms could help
The situation is really worrying for the police, said Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation. After all, the weather is exceptionally good and people have had little opportunity to meet for weeks.
At least on one front there are signs of relaxation. Thunderstorms are forecast for the weekend. The temperatures are likely to drop more than 10 degrees as a result, which could lead some of the potential beach visitors to stay at home.
