Gardai have said they were still meeting cyclists and walkers in Co Wicklow despite the Covid19 lock-down measures in place.
At present people have been told to stay in their homes
except for specific circumstances.
These include traveling to work if they are classified as
essential workers, caring for older or vulnerable people or attending medical
appointments, among other reasons.
People can also leave their homes for shopping but when
they are exercising they have been told to remain within a 2km radius of home.
Anyone exercising within that 2km radius is asked to keep
their outings brief, though no definition of brief has been set out.
And when exercising people are being told to do it alone or only with people they share a home with.
However, last weekend gardai in Wicklow mounted
anti-crime and Covid19 checkpoints and said they came across “quite a few”
cyclists and had instructed them to go home.
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And this weekend the Garda said they had continued to
meet some cyclists and walkers in Wicklow and had sent them home.
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“We’re asking the general public
to please adhere to the Government restrictions on essential travel and the 2km
rule,” the Garda said.
“We encountered a few people today
in Wicklow hill walking and cycling and more than 2km from their homes.
Remember we are all in this together.”
Despite the measures in place,
gardai in Wicklow also complained that drivers had parked their cars in areas
that would have prevented emergency vehicles gaining access had they been
required.
One such example was at Knocksink
Woods yesterday, Saturday, as the photo above shows.
Those people who were traveling more than 2km from home
for exercise or other non-essential journeys are breaking no laws.
The measures in place are advisory and new rules that
would criminalise them have not yet been introduced.
However, the Garda and Government have reported
overwhelming compliance and cooperation from people all over the country.
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