While Pokémon GO might be your go-to method for staying fit and active during the lockdown, there are still rules in place and this Pokémon fan learned that the hard way. The BBC has reported that the local police in the UK fined a man £200 after he drove from his home to look for Pokémon to catch.
Currently, the UK is in a national lockdown following a huge rise in infections after the discovery of a new variant, which is said to be 55% more transmissible. In an attempt to curb this new wave another lockdown was imposed and in the last few weeks the police have been cracking down harder on folks seen breaking rules. And yes leaving your hometown to catch Pokémon elsewhere is indeed breaking travel rules.
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The only reason people should be traveling outside of their hometown is if their work demands it or if they have a reasonable excuse. Shockingly catching Pokémon is neither of those, so this fan was swiftly caught by local police. The man, who has remained unnamed was slapped with a £200 fine for attempting to drive from Bedworth to Kenilworth, which is a trip that would take about 25 minutes.
While there's no official date stamped on it, the UK will be reviewing the current restrictions on 15th February, which is also when the government hopes to hit its 15 million vaccination target. It is unclear how much the restrictions will be lightened so you could be waiting a little while longer to be able to travel out for some Pokémon GO shenanigans. The good news though is that the current vaccination program is on track to hit its target.
Hopefully, now folks across the UK know that even traveling out to catch some Pokémon solo is classed as breaking the rules, they can avoid getting that hefty £200 fine themselves. As the government says, stay home, protect the NHS, and save lives.
Featured Image Credit: Niantic