Playgrounds to stay closed despite golf courses, tennis and basketball courts reopening

People will be able to exercise outside as much as they want from Wednesday, May 13, and they will be allowed to play sports with people from their own household or with one person from another household provided they stay two metres apart.

Wear a mask where possible and stand side-by-side: New advice on staying safe outside

But while that means people will be able to use golf courses, tennis courts and basketball courts, the Government says outdoor gyms and playgrounds will remain closed for now.

Under the new regulations, people will be allowed to spend as much time as they want outdoors on their own or with other members of their household, not just exercising but sitting and enjoying the fresh air, picnicking or sunbathing.

They will also be allowed to meet ONE person from a different household outdoors, again provided they follow social distancing rules, and to visit garden centres.

The new lockdown rules about visiting parents and family members

But they can still not visit friends and family in their home, exercise in an indoor sports court, gym or leisure centre, or go swimming in a public pool.

They are also forbidden from visiting any private or ticketed attraction, or from gathering in a group of more than two, excluding members of their own household, with a few exceptions such as for work and funerals.

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Anyone caught breaking the rules can now be fined £100 for a first offence, with the punishment doubling for each subsequent contravention, up to a maximum of £3,200. Anyone who fails to pay could be taken to court.