TOURISM bosses, politicians and mountain rescue teams are united in their message despite the relaxation of lockdown laws - the Lake District is still closed!

After a change in government guidelines advising that people can travel to enjoy unlimited exercise outdoors, there have been words of caution against the sudden return of day trippers to one of the parts of the UK worst-hit by coronavirus.

Sarah Anderson, upland foot ranger with the National Trust, highlighted the strain immediate visits would place on mountain rescue teams in the Lakes.

“No-one plans to have an accident, but if you unfortunately do, you’ll need a minimum of eight mountain rescue volunteers to get you to safety,” she said.

“More [so] if you’re in the high fells.

“When carrying a stretcher we can’t social distance.

“MR [Mountain Rescue] teams around the Lakes have volunteers from all walks of life, while some of us are currently furloughed from our jobs, others are key workers and busier than ever.”

Cumbria Tourism, which welcomed the Government’s announcement this week to begin the phased return to work, also continues to strongly urge people not to visit the county.

Its managing director, Gill Haigh, said: “We welcome the Government’s planned roadmap to recovery and Cumbria Tourism will continue its vigorous efforts to ensure businesses receive the ongoing government support that is absolutely critical.

“Our businesses are suffering greatly - by the end of this month the loss to Cumbria’s visitor economy will be £1.45bn - and this situation is not going to change in the short term. The Government must work with us to safeguard jobs and the economy of the county.”

Cllr David Southward, the county council’s cabinet member for economic development and board member of Cumbria Tourism, echoed the concerns of the hard-hit sector.

He stressed that ‘now is not the time’ for people to be coming back to Cumbria and the Lake District, after fears Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Sunday announcement would prompt visitors to flock back to the Lakes.

“We have some of the highest rates of infection and we still have people dying in our care homes,” he said.

“Of course we want to welcome back visitors when the time is right, but now is not that time and I would urge people to hold off on any trips to the Lakes.”

New figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that, in the week ending May 1, there were 766 COVID-19 deaths in care homes across the north of England - 49 per cent up on the previous week.

Of those care home deaths, 87 were recorded across Cumbria - representing around a 40 per cent increase on the previous week.

South Lakeland continues to have the third-highest rate of coronavirus infection in the country.

South Lakes MP Tim Farron suggested the full extent of care home deaths may not yet have been revealed and that the Government should avoid lifting restrictions prematurely.

He said: “One of the problems we have at the moment is that all we have to go off at the moment are the government statistics.

“For instance, in care homes, a lot of the deaths recorded as respiratory failings likely to be COVID – but aren’t recorded as such.”

Mr Farron wrote to Boris Johnson earlier this week, urging the Government to place a limit on the number of miles that can be travelled for exercise.

He also said that he continues to push for a 12-month support package for the hospitality sector to avoid economic devastation in the Lakes.

“The number one priority is to save lives and number two is to prevent hardship.

“It’s a false economy to offer support for a month or two and then to pull the plug on the furlough scheme, business grants and the other forms of support promised by the government. It would be like pouring money down the drain.”