I suffer with rheumatism and exercise does help
Would it be acceptable for me to do some gardening for about half an hour a day. I have a lot of plants that need to be planted for the summer bedding.
Best of health to everyone. As if we don't suffer enough we now have this to contend with.
all the best x
From what I've heard on the BBC news Michael Gove said that those who have allotments can continue as long as they keep their distance from others.
If it's your own private garden then there are no restrictions on that. Although it looks like the garden centers are closed for now.
Also you can go out side for a walk, run or cycle but only with one other family member. No groups.
So do your own garden or allotment and if it's out side the home keep your distance from others around you.
Keep safe and well.
X
Hi 1clea,
Gardening would be a great idea, it is advised that everyone continues exercise and this would count! 
The self-isolation message says you can only open the window and not leave the house - can anyone find any official clarification about whether you can go into your own enclosed garden that cannot be accessed by anyone else? Some are taking the strict "stay in" as being for town dwellers with no own garden because of others being able to "smear contaminate" items.
I looked at all the guidance after getting the dreaded text message and decided that the garden, for me, would be okay.
"...try spending time with the windows open to let in the fresh air, arranging space to sit and see a nice view (if possible) and get some natural sunlight, or get out into any private space, keeping at least 2 metres away from your neighbours and household members if you are sitting on your doorstep..."
I wouldn't risk my own health or that of my elderly, vulnerable neighbours if I thought for a minute that it was unsafe. I think that if you can't guarantee a safe distance, then stay indoors. I've seen enough stupidity and risk taking with the influx of 'isolation tourists' in my local area this week.🤬
Thank you Chanpreet,
Weeded the garden in the sun with my headphones on. Sheer bliss.
Those are the guidelines for ordinary people who should stay at home as much as possible but can go out for shopping (also as infrequently as possible) and exercise once a day.
I'm talking about the instructions sent to the highly vulnerable who are to self-isolate which is even more stringent than social distancing. They are not to have contact with anyone - including keeping 2 metres from others in the household and not sharing towles, cutlery and crockery as well as eating at a different time or place in the house. It specifically says "You may open a window but not go out ..." - but can they go into a safe garden not accessed by others? If no-one is near it is safe - the virus in carried in droplets, not airborne.
Yes gardening will be fine, I’ve got Lupus and have been doing bits in the garden for last 3 days as it’s been lovely weather x
I am still doing yard work and I am still walking here in the states. I do not live in a city but am walking on side walks for now on the approval of my cardiologist (whose patients are at the greatest risk of death for this disease).
He said that we will most likely all get this virus the issue is spreading it out so ventilators are available if needed. He also pointed out that I will most likely survive it when I get it. He said that the reality is that getting corona virus doubles anyone's chance of two week mortality but since most of us already have a very low chance of dying in the next two weeks it does not in actuality really mean our risks are that much higher. 1 % becomes 2% , 5 % becomes 10%. He did stress to stay 2-arm lengthsaway from others outside of my family.
I am still cuddling with my daughter and husband and at times either my husband or myself have had to leave the house we just use lots of caution to stay distanced from strangers. If one of us falls ill than we change course. I still need a weekly blood test. All these things were approved by my team of cardiologists, neurologist, rheumy, hemotologist and GP. Talk to you doctor you may find it reassuring to see that we might not need to be so isolated in actuality.
I have to say that on my experience here in Italy I cannot see how any doctor can make such sweeping statements. No-one knows enough about this virus yet and now we are seeing young and healthy patients who are also dying - also in the UK and USA. And the evidence is now that as great a risk is the "smear contamination" - virus contaminating hard surfaces which can survive for up to 17 days.
I am in The States and we have had one 40+, and one 50+ die, but no one younger yet, and for all we know, they may have had very compromised lungs before they got the virus🤷🏻♀️. I haven’t heard of any healthy patience in the US dying. In the highly infected areas here, you will find that the numbers are high because they spread through nursing homes and those are they who have mostly succumbed to this virus.
That was also a similar situation here at first - 24% of the population in Italy is over 65 and in people over 80 the death rate has been exceptionally high, and is the reason the death rate in Italy has been so high. However, in other age groups it has been about the same as in other countries.
Yesterday a healthy 21 year old woman died in the UK and a healthy 37 year old UK diplomat died in Budapest. Neither of them came in the same group as the most common reason for young deaths in Italy: high viral load because they were doctors/nurses. And doctors are all now saying it isn't just old people who get it and die - a NY doctor said it to Sky News this morning.
Hopefully this social isolating will turn it around. We’ll see numbers spike here over the next few weeks (cases, not deaths) simply because testing has been opened up and there’s been a real push for it. So those results will start showing soon. Then, hopefully, because of the isolation we’ll see the numbers spiraling downward.
Takes a good 2 weeks for it to have any effect at all, we had had 3 days of slightly lower case numbers here in Italy but it has spiked again though not sure by how much. But even once it is falling significantly, relaxation of the measures is likely to result in a rebound.
I’ve been in isolation 2 weeks tomorrow but the rest of the state hasn’t been ordered into as long. I don’t think we are talking about two weeks here, then back to normal. I think they are talking about much longer than that. Our schools are suppose to be in session until beginning of June, but they have been out, aren’t expected back in session until end of April, but are talking about not going back the rest of this year, and I think with the massive push to hand out laptops and start teaching online (even the little ones) they probably won’t go back this year. So I think, at least here, everyone is geared to ride this storm for awhile. I think we’ve had the advantage of learning from watching others since we lagged behind in getting it. Our numbers have really jumped, but I think a lot of that was because it took awhile for people to realize they had this, instead of a common cold since it wasn’t as bad as they were expecting to feel. And, our area mass and population is great, so the numbers may look high, but you’ve got to compare that with overall population. Is there a problem? Yes, of course. But again, hopefully we see those numbers start coming down after the next few weeks of testing, their results, and the long isolation.
Best of luck over in Italy. We have tickets for a two week trip there this July that I think, though we are hesitating, we’ll be cancelling for our refund.
I have no problem distinguishing between the two but I didn't use the term shielding at first. Social distancing is what we have all done here in Italy and self-isolation is what Covid+ve patients and those in quarantine are supposed to do.
Whether you get to be merely vulnerable or get to be high/very high risk depends on a scoring system - plus a bit of common sense. But as it so often said, common sense isn't very common ...
The army aren't involved in dispersing groups just yet. It's better for everyone to stick to the facts. There's enough misinformation causing panic as it is.
I do know what is going on in the UK - I have Sky News on so hear the interviews/briefings live, no media interpretation.
So no walking next to your husband? I would imagine this doesn’t apply to spouses. Next thing you know we’ll be sending our husbands to the couch 🛋.
I will say to you again, I know this, I read the news and watch the briefings. I'm sure other forum users do also. You were throwing the army into the mix yesterday when they are not yet involved. You appear to be fixed on causing more worry here than is necessary. I prefer to get my information from properly verified sources thanks.
Still not as strict as here - we have to exercise within 200m of our house. "One exercise period" is too unspecific - give them a yard and they will take a mile. Literally!
I, OTOH, seem to need yet another document to carry with me ...
No flapping here.
Windy9 and Jacky34, what a team 🤔
Red Kite in the garden! So excited! 
Calling all gardeners on forum: help?
New flowers have bloomed! Time in the garden 🌸
Latest garden project, after enforced retirement 
