People told to stay away from English beauty spots

LONDON: Officials in parts of England warned people to stay away from beauty spots Saturday, as the first weekend since the partial easing of coronavirus lockdown measures got underway.

English police forces, tourist boards and local authorities all urged caution ahead of the weekend, when sunny conditions were forecast in many places, after some of the rules were relaxed on Wednesday.

The Peak District National Park in northern England took to Twitter on Saturday to tell people not to venture there, while officials at other beauty spots told potential visitors to "think carefully" before coming.

"This area is reported to be extremely busy with car parks currently full and social distancing difficult," the national park -- near the big cities of Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds -- stated. Officials statistics show Britain had recorded more than 36,000 deaths in the outbreak by the start of the month, the second-worst in the world, although the government´s current total -- which is a less comprehensive count -- is 34,446. The health ministry announced another 468 deaths on Saturday. Despite continued similar daily tolls, Prime Minister Boris Johnson opted to lift partially lockdown measures in England.

He recommended workers in sectors such as manufacturing and construction return to their jobs, while people can now leave home to exercise and do other recreational activities for unlimited periods.

But he has been accused of putting people´s lives at risk by easing restrictions.

Officials Friday reported the virus´ transmission rate -- the so-called "R" -- had crept up slightly to between 0.7 and one.

The government's five tests for maintaining the relaxation of restrictions include keeping the rate below one, so that any one person infected spreads it to one or fewer other people. Devolved leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not followed suit in easing the social distancing regime, saying it is too soon to soften the stay-at-home message.