Yorkshire paramedic slams 'halfwits' who defied social distancing to visit the moors and coast

A North Yorkshire paramedic has said he is 'raging' after seeing large numbers of cars on the A64 heading to the moors and coast for a day out.
By Grace Newton
Published 23rd Mar 2020, 10:01 BST
Updated 23rd Mar 2020, 13:04 BST

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The Hole of Horcum in the North Yorkshire MoorsThe Hole of Horcum in the North Yorkshire Moors
The Hole of Horcum in the North Yorkshire Moors

Jon, a clinical development manager for the NHS, filmed a video from his vehicle near the A64 on Sunday.

"The A64 has been packed with idiots driving to and from the moors and coast. I'm absolutely raging at how inconsiderate and stupid these halfwits are.

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"Do you not understand that social distancing means actually keeping your distance? Go and do it in your own house, your own town; you don't need to travel to the other end of the county.

"Just because it's a nice day, does not mean that this virus isn't still spreading. This has just got to stop. You don't understand how serious this is going to get."

Join our new coronavirus Facebook group for the latest confirmed news and advice as soon as we get it www.facebook.com/groups/yorkshirecoronavirusYorkshire's weekend of flouting government advice

- The chief executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority said it 'beggars belief' how many people had descended on tourist honeypots in the Dales over the weekend. He advised people to stay away from the area, while a doctor living in Malham posted on social media that she had seen 'hundreds of people' in the village eating and drinking within close proximity of each other.

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- An elderly couple wrote to the Yorkshire Post expressing fear for the future after comparing crowds at Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay and Sleights to those at Bondi Beach in Australia. Several businesses including pubs and fish and chip shops appeared to open and trading as normal, with large queues.

- The National Trust retracted an earlier decision to suspend entry fees to their parks, gardens and open spaces after they were overwhelmed with visitors treating the weekend as a 'holiday'. A resident of Studley, near Ripon, said there were more people queuing to get into Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden than there would be on a normal Bank Holiday weekend. All National Trust sites are now closed.

- Leeds City Council have closed children's playgrounds in all of their public parks and may be forced to shut the parks themselves if people do not observe social distancing measures.

- The Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster has now shut despite pledging to remain open, as has Chatsworth in Derbyshire.

Related topics:North YorkshireA64NHSFacebookYorkshire Dales National Park AuthorityYorkshire Post

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