P-05-1155 Allow safe, socially-distanced watersports during coronavirus lockdowns

P-05-1155 Allow safe, socially-distanced watersports during coronavirus lockdowns

This petition was submitted by Tavi Murray, having collected a total of 1,447 signatures.

Text of Petition:                     

Outdoor activities and exercise are hugely beneficial to people’s mental and physical health. Blue space: canals, rivers, lakes, and coast are precious and safe sources of well-being, currently denied to us in Wales. As a result many of us are suffering from real mental health challenges.

We call on the Welsh Government to remove the phrase that suggests all water sports are banned during lockdown and allow access to local blue space provided travel restrictions are followed.

Additional Information:

We all agree that in lockdown we should “avoid activities that involve a significant degree of risk” whatever the environment where these are undertaken, in order to protect the emergency services. However we ask the Welsh Government remove the phrase that suggests all water sports fall into this category. Water-based activities such as kayaking, canoeing, surfing, SUP and outdoor swimming can provide excellent and safe exercise along with huge mental health benefits.

We call on the Welsh Government to reword this FAQ to read simply: “As one of the purposes of the restrictions is to reduce pressure on the Welsh NHS you should avoid activities that involve a significant degree of risk.”

Status

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 16/03/2021.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Welsh Government to seek a response to the issue raised, so that this can be shared with the petitioner. In doing so, the Committee agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition given the likelihood that the position will have changed by the time a new committee is established following the Senedd election.

Full details of the consideration of this petition by the Committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 16/03/2021.

Senedd Constituency and Region

• Gower
• South Wales West

Further information

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