Rejected petition Reduce social distancing requirements for children, so they can meet and play outdoors this summer
My daughter is 7 and an only child. She says "I miss playing with my friends. Please can we change the rules so I am allowed to go to the park with my friends this summer?"
Children in Wales have endured a long lockdown cut off from their peers. Play is how children manage their own mental health and wellbeing. It is critical for healthy development.
Wales should allow children to meet and play with their friends outdoors this summer. The risks are small, and the benefits are enormous.
More details
The benefits of children playing outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic outweigh the risks, says a new research paper authored by Professor David Ball, Tim Gill and Andy Yates. They demonstrate:
‘The benefits to children of playing outside bring a host of social, emotional and physical rewards. These have long been undervalued and at this time appear to have been completely ignored. Consequently, children are suffering harm. The evidence is that the risks posed by COVID-19 to children playing in outdoor spaces is very low. Proportionate decision making requires that trade-offs between the risks and benefits of safety interventions are part of the decision process. The evidence summarised is that current UK policy is much more harmful to children than beneficial’.
Play Forum paper: https://bit.ly/3dQC0JC
Summary of risk data by Professor David Spiegelhalter:
https://bit.ly/2AqQkeh
Why was this petition rejected?
This petition was withdrawn by the petitioner.
In light of an announcement by the Welsh Government on 31 July that children under the age of 11 will no longer have to follow 2 meter social distancing, the petitioner decided to withdraw the petition.
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