Seaside town busy in spite of official guidance to stay at home to curb spread of Covid-19

A dentist has warned of a “disaster waiting to happen” as thousands of people flocked to his seaside town in spite of official guidance to stay at home to curb the spread of coronavirus. Hundreds of thousands of people were reported to have visited Skegness, in Lincolnshire, on Saturday, flouting the advice to maintain “social distancing”.

Marc Jones, Lincolnshire’s police and crime commissioner, has called for the town’s caravan sites and arcades to be closed, “and quickly”.

Marc Jones PCC (@MarcJonesLincs) Time for everyone to be socially responsible or be made to be. These caravan sites & arcades must be closed and quickly. Lincolnshire’s health and 999 services cannot and should not be facing 100s of thousands visitors on top of residents to support. I will be raising urgently. https://t.co/3fFiVAHtcF

In a video that has been viewed almost 25,000 times, Skegness dentist Dr Mitchell Clark also urged local businesses to shutter their shops and called for caravan parks to be closed.

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Clark, who voluntarily closed his dental studio last Tuesday, said he was “appalled” to see his town “looking like it does on a busy summer day” as he drove home from walking his dog along a deserted section of beach.

“I view these actions as massively, massively socially irresponsible. I personally think that those involved should be ashamed of themselves,” he said. “Now is the time for us all to come together, to stay at home bar essential trips, to look after people and to do the right thing.”

He warned that the schools being closed and the caravan parks being open would bring an “enormous influx” of visitors into the small town next week.

“People are treating it like it’s a holiday. It’s not. It’s not a holiday. This is a disaster waiting to happen,” he added. “I, for one, would not ever frequent a local business that chooses to open at a time of crisis purely for their own financial gain. I understand it. I cannot support it. It is socially irresponsible. People will die.”

Craig Leyland, leader of the town’s East Lindsey local authority, tweeted that “‘business as usual’ is no longer a credible option”.

Skegness was not the only seaside town reported to have been busy this weekend. In Chichester, West Wittering Beach closed on Saturday afternoon after the number of visitors it accommodated “far exceeded” its expectations. “We understand that the restrictions imposed by the government make us an attractive option for exercise, dog walking, and socialising, but we cannot in good conscience remain open to the public,” the beach’s estate said in a statement.

There were also reports of large crowds along the East Yorkshire coast, and other resorts, including Brighton and Hove, were believed to be busy.