Coronavirus in Sheffield: The rules around walking your dog in self-isolation and lockdown

Dogs need regular exercise, and during the coronavirus pandemic large numbers of people have been seen out walking their dogs in Sheffield and the Peak District.

Before the lockdown people who had not exhibited any symptoms of coronavirus, and do not live with anybody who has done, were allowed to take their dogs out for a walk as long as they stay a safe distance (2m) away from other people.

Those with symptoms, or who lived live with people who had symptoms, were not allowed to leave the house to walk dogs.

In many communities, groups were offering to walk the dogs of those in self-isolation having exhibited symptoms of the disease.

This was possible because, until March 23, people without symptoms for COVID-19 had not been told that they must stay inside at all times.

Although the Government advised that people stay at home and take part in social distancing to help limit the spread of coronavirus, many chose to ignore this advice.

Over the weekend thousands of people were seen in parks and beauty spots around the country, often close to one another.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock condemned the “very selfish” behaviour of people who were ignoring social-distancing rules and said that “nothing is off the table” when it comes to measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

This prompted the government to bring in more severe measures, meaning people will be much less free to leave their houses, even if they do not have any symptoms.

The lockdown in the UK, akin to those already in place in France and Italy, means that everybody needs to stay indoors at all times, except for a few limited reasons where venturing outside is permitted.

Only people who have no symptoms, and do not live with anybody with symptoms, are allowed outside at all.

Johnson explained that the permissible reasons for leaving the house are to go to work if working from home is impossible, for a medical need including helping a needy relative, to shop for essentials such as food and medicine, and to exercise once per day.

He said that this exercise could be a “run, or a walk, or a cycle”. Under current government guidelines, it is during this one permitted period of exercise per day that people will be allowed to take their dogs.

It could also include taking children to a park.

The Prime Minister said that those who disobey these rules could face fines.

In France, where a similar lockdown has been in place for a week, hundreds of thousands of police officers have been deployed onto the streets to enforce rules.

Those who are out on the streets must be able to justify themselves using a “sworn statement”, which they must present on request to show their “essential” reason for being out of the house.