NATIONAL Parks are urging people to avoid visiting during the coronavirus lockdown as they are “putting lives at risk”.
While people are urged to get out once a day for exercise, authorities are warning Brits to stop driving to parks in huge numbers.
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Last week, the National Trust opened the majority of their parks and gardens to allow people to exercise while social distancing.
However, they were quickly forced to close them after large crowds made social distancing impossible with people driving to the countryside and the coast to make the most of the offer.
Other parks are also being forced to close as visitor numbers remain high and people fail to stay at least two metres apart.
Dartmoor National Park has closed the parking and toilet facilities to prevent people from visiting.
A spokesman for Dartmoor National Park told local media: “You should not be travelling to Dartmoor National Park.”
“If you travel to visit the National Park you are putting the lives of our communities at risk and additional pressure on our health and other local services.”
Similar restrictions are also in place at National Parks in Wales including Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons.
Emyr Williams, Chief Executive of Snowdonia National Park reiterated: “We encourage local people who live within and close to the boundaries of the National Park to continue to exercise from their doorstep.
“For those who do not live within walking distance our message is clear – do not visit the National Park until the Government’s guidelines to avoid unnecessary travel has been lifted.”
Brits are currently allowed outside for one form of exercise a day, as well as essential shopping and medical care.
While parks can remain open, some parts of the UK are choosing to shut to prevent large crowds.
Hammersmith and Fulham council have closed all parks in the borough and Royal Parks, responsible for Hyde Park and St James’ Park, have closed all cafes and toilets, as well as suspended fitness training licences for both personal and group running sessions.
Strict measures are already in place for outdoor areas following Boris Johnson’s new lockdown announcement with playgrounds and outdoor gyms across the UK closed.
He said earlier this week during the announcement: “Without a huge national effort to halt the growth of this virus, there will come a moment when no health service in the world could possibly cope; because there won’t be enough ventilators, enough intensive care beds, enough doctors and nurses.”
People must also not gather in groups larger than two, unless from a household.
It follows in the footsteps of other European countries who cracked down on movement to battle the virus.
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Chancellor Angela Merkel introduced the same measures in Germany, with breachers also hit with fines.
France has imposed some of the tightest controls in Europe on people’s movements for the past six days.
Italy banned travel within the country in yet another attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
