More people visiting Derbyshire parks again despite lockdown rules

New data from Google suggest people in Derbyshire have been tempted back into parks despite the continuing lockdown – ​but visits are still below normal levels.
The warm Easter weather saw people tempted to the county's parks to sunbathe. Photo: Ben Stansall/Getty ImagesThe warm Easter weather saw people tempted to the county's parks to sunbathe. Photo: Ben Stansall/Getty Images
The warm Easter weather saw people tempted to the county's parks to sunbathe. Photo: Ben Stansall/Getty Images

In the second report of its kind, Google used location data to chart trends in people's movement in the home, retail and recreation establishments, grocery stores and pharmacies, public transport hubs, and parks and green spaces.

In Derbyshire, trips to retail and recreation establishments, grocery stores and pharmacies, public transport use and footfall to workplaces have all seen slight increases.

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But the biggest change was in visits to parks and green spaces, which had been at 55 per cent below average, but is now only at 38 per cent.

And these figures have led to politicians and police urging the public to only use outdoor spaces for exercise and not sunbathing or meeting friends.

Dominic Raab MP, First Secretary of State, acting in place of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said: "The most important thing right now is that people continue to follow the Government’s guidance until we’ve got the evidence that the virus is firmly under control.

"So that means please do stay at home, to protect our NHS and to save lives.”After all the efforts that everyone’s made, after all the sacrifices so many people have made, let’s not ruin it now.

"Let’s not undo the gains we’ve made.

“Let’s not waste the sacrifices so many people have made.

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"We mustn’t give the coronavirus a second chance to kill more people and hurt our country.

“I know it’s tough going, but this is a team effort, and we’ll only defeat this virus for good if we all stay the course."

Across the UK, the Google data shows an increase in footfall in each category outside the home.

Derbyshire was in line with national figures in seeing the biggest increase in movement in people visiting parks

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Stephen Powis, NHS England medical director, said their own data analysis shows compliance levels in the public are very high.

He added: "We absolutely need to make sure that we keep the benefits of this going forward and we don’t take our foot off the pedal, we don’t become complacent."