Yahoo News Boris Johnson doesn't regret bike ride as Number 10 says public should 'go for it'
Downing Street tells people wanting to go on seven-mile bike rides during lockdown to ‘go for it’
It comes as Boris Johnson’s bike ride around Olympic Park – seven miles from Downing Street – continues to be a talking point
Government insists bike ride was within lockdown rules
The government has said people who want to go for a seven-mile bike ride during the coronavirus lockdown should “go for it”.
It comes as Boris Johnson’s Sunday bike ride around London’s Olympic Park – seven miles from his home in Downing Street – continues to be a talking point.
Number 10 insisted Johnson did not break any rules after questions were raised as to whether the prime minister was right to go on the bike ride – particularly with his government now telling the public to “act like they have the virus”.
Johnson, however, appears to have no regrets.
Watch: Police warn coronavirus rule-breakers they are ‘increasingly likely’ to be fined
His press secretary Allegra Stratton, asked at Tuesday’s lobby briefing if he regretted the bike ride, said Johnson will “be doing bike rides again – you all know how much he loves his bike”, and that members of the public wanting to do the same should “go for it”.
His official spokesman, meanwhile, said: “The PM acted in accordance with the COVID guidance while he was exercising.
“We have always trusted the public to exercise good judgment throughout the pandemic when we have asked them to exercise locally.”
England’s national lockdown rules state: “You can leave your home to exercise. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.”
However, “local area” is not defined in the rules.
The spokesman did not say how far someone can travel to take exercise and sidestepped a question on whether people can drive or take public transport to exercise.
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