Families, dog walkers and couples have today been enjoying the county’s parks as the rules on exercise during the coronavirus lockdown were relaxed.
Popular destinations such as Christchurch Park in Ipswich, home to the historic Christchurch Mansion, have been busier as people take advantage of the newly-relaxed rules which allow you to exercise more than once a day, and travel from your home to a destination, no matter how far, to enjoy the outdoors.
The strict lockdown rules were introduced on March 23 during a historic address by PM Boris Johnson.
However, in his address to the nation at the weekend, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced people would be able to take unlimited amounts of exercise from Wednesday.
With guidelines relaxed, parks throughout Suffolk were visibly busier than in previous weeks.
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Families were seen playing football together, walking their dogs and enjoying picnics, with many wearing masks and maintaining a healthy distance from other park users.
In addition to the relaxation on exercise guidelines, garden centres in England were given permission to reopen on Wednesday as one of the first steps the government has taken to restart the nation’s economy.
Notcutts in Woodbridge saw many customers through the door, with staff kitted out in protective clothing, advising people of the shop’s rules and cleaning trolleys before they were reused.
Fast food chains have also begun to partially reopen, only taking orders via drive thru or delivery services.
There was traffic chaos near the Burger King in West End Road, Ipswich, as dozens of motorists flocked to the recently-reopened restaurant.
The KFC in Cardinal Park also experienced a similar situation as drivers queued up for takeaway food.
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