The countryside is open for business, says the government in an effort to re-ignite tourism in rural areas. But it will take more than that to tempt visitors back to the Lake District.
Tourism is the lifeblood of the Lake District National Park.
Many believe its 880 square miles of dramatic rolling countryside incorporate England's most spectacular scenery and walking country. After all, the Lake District accounts for one third of the county of Cumbria, which is the epicentre of the current outbreak. A couple of weeks ago, the disease finally crossed the park's boundaries. The park now accounts for eight of the more than 400 cases identified in Cumbria. The footpaths and bridleways that weave across the district's trademark fells had already been cordoned off.