Authorities in the United Kingdom have dyed the popular Blue Lagoon black so as to deter people from gathering around the location to take photos amidst the CCP Virus epidemic, according to multiple reports.
As the pandemic continues to claim more lives, British authorities have ordered people to practice social distancing and avoid gatherings to slow the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.
Despite the social distancing orders, people have continued to gathered at the lagoon, prompting the deterrence measures.
“Yesterday we received reports that people were congregating at the ‘Blue Lagoon’ in Harpur Hill, Buxton. No doubt this is due to the picturesque location and the lovely weather (for once!) in Buxton,” Buxton Police said in a Facebook post.
“However, the location is dangerous and this type of gathering is in contravention to the current instruction of the UK Government,” the post read.
“With this in mind, we have attended the location this morning and used water dye to make the water look less appealing,” the post read.
The police shared photos of officers dressed in protective suits as they added the dye to the water.
“As things stand, it has never been so important to discourage these types of gatherings,” the post read.
They added that this was a regular tactic they use, as the water in the lagoon is actually bad for the skin. Sky News reported that that this had done this previously, in partnership with the High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The lagoon gets its bright colors from caustic chemicals in the water and its high pH levels—around 11.3—which can cause skin irritations. Bleach has a pH level of around 11-12. Furthermore, the lagoon’s water has trash and dead animals in it, and is known to be very cold.
At the time of writing, the United Kingdom has 22,453 confirmed cases of the CCP Virus and 1,408 deaths, according to the resource center from Johns Hopkins University.
