Why COVID-19 pandemic is turning scenic lake black
British police have taken an unusual step to deter people from gathering at a scenic spot amid coronavirus social distancing orders.
The team from Bruxton police station in Derbyshire in central England posted on Facebook they had reports of people congregating at ‘Blue Lagoon’, an old quarry made famous among locals for its toxic but sparkling bright blue water.
“No doubt this is due to the picturesque location and the lovely weather (for once!) in Buxton,” police said.
“However, the location is dangerous and this type of gathering is in contravention of the current instruction of the UK Government.”
In an effort to deter people from visiting the lake, the officers said they used black dye to “make the water look less appealing”.
They posted images of the brightly coloured lake with clouds of black spreading in a marble-like pattern, a tactic the police said they have used before with success.
“It has never been so important to discourage these types of gatherings,” the officers wrote, urging the public to stay home.
The move drew mixed responses, with many people commenting that by adding the black dye, people may be drawn to the water which many weren’t aware of and now looked even more eye-catching.
“By putting pictures on Facebook people will share them as the pictures are showing a beautiful lake and people will be attracted,” one person wrote.
“I think you made it look awesome!” another person posted.
“People will be flocking there in their thousands now to witness this strange phenomenon,” a Facebook user wrote.
The post has since been shared more than 700 times and attracted more than 800 comments from people praising the officers for alerting them to the location of the lake, which many people said they would refrain from visiting until after the coronavirus self isolation advice is over.
There have been reports that the black dye has now settled and the water is completely black.
The number of deaths from coronavirus in Britain has risen by 260 in one day to reach 1019.
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