GOLF clubs in Northwich are among the first to have benefitted from the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions across England today.
Vale Royal Abbey Golf course in Whitegate, where the club is taking on new members and has temporarily suspended the joining fee, is one such venue that has been very busy as these pictures from first thing this morning show.
Simon Ledger tee's off. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Colin Searle tee's off at Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Paul Lambert plays from the rough off the first fairway at Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Vinny Booth tee's off at Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Chris Wood plays off the fairway at Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Gordon Spruce plays off the fairway at Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Daz Brown plays off the fairway at Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
They are open again for the first time this year as a result of the relaxation in the Government's Covid-19 measures.
Groups of up to six, or two households, can socialise in parks and gardens once more, while outdoor sports facilities can reopen after the stay-at-home order ended.
Football and cricket pitches, tennis and basketball courts, outdoor swimming pools, and sailing clubs are now also free to reopen after months of being shuttered.
Organised team sports can also resume outdoors, meaning grassroots competitions can take place ahead of the Easter break without the need for social distancing.
Restrictions were eased as official figures showed more than 30 million people in the UK have received a first vaccine dose, accounting for about 57 percent of all adults.
A new slogan has also been unveiled to stress the importance of ventilation in reducing the spread of the virus: “Hands, Face, Space and Fresh Air.”
But nationally 'caution' is being stressed.
As the latest step on his road map out of lockdown was reached, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We must remain cautious, with cases rising across Europe and new variants threatening our vaccine rollout.
“Despite today’s easements, everyone must continue to stick to the rules, remember hands, face, space, and come forward for a vaccine when called."
He added, as vaccines continue to be rolled out: “It’s vital that we don’t overdo it and risk all the progress we’ve made.”
Professor Sir Mark Walport, a member of the Sage advisory panel and former chief scientific adviser, said that there is 'good reason to be cautious' as restrictions are eased, with concerns about mounting cases on the continent.
He told Times Radio: “Just across the Channel we are seeing many European countries well into a third wave of infection.
“The average number of cases per day is about 5,000 in the UK – and is rather persistently stuck there at the moment – in France the average number of cases is nearly 37,000 cases a day.
“The risk of the moment is that the South African variant becomes more prevalent, as it is in some parts of Europe.”
Sports minister Nigel Huddleston said the easing of measures amounted to 'cautious baby steps' out of lockdown and warned the police would intervene if people breached the rules.
He told Sky News: “The vast majority of people absolutely stick to the rules and actually there’s a fair bit of self-policing that goes on as well.
“But indeed if there are breaches, then the police can intervene and fine and they’ll continue to do so where that’s the case, but the message very clearly and hence the new message today actually is making sure that it’s very much about outdoors and open space.”
Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport who paid a visit to nearby Warrington this morning, said on Sky Sports News: “After this dreadful long winter of Covid, spring is in the air and grassroots sport is returning.
"We said when we went into these dreadful restrictions that grassroots sport should be the last in and the first out. Today we’re delivering on that and it’s so essential to everyone’s sense of health and wellbeing.”
The next easing of restrictions is set for April 12 when indoor leisure (including gyms) will open for use individually or within household groups.
Implementation of the roadmap though will depend on targets being met in terms of the prevalence of coronavirus and further delays are possible.
Dowden said: “This is why it’s important people abide by the rules as we go through each stage of this.
"The reason why we’ve been able to do what we’re seeing today is because people have by and large stuck to the rules so far. It’s important that at each stage people stick to the rules.”
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