Good question. The Government has made available a form which has to be filled out stating the nature of your business, i.e. why you are outside and/or outside your council of residence.
The valid reasons are: shopping for essentials, health reasons, work (although a lot less people go to work now - even banks are open every other day), returning to your place of residence if you were somewhere else, and "necessary trips" which include those to assist vulnerable/elderly family members.
You can also exercise outdoors by yourself or with members of your household, always keeping your distance, but it has to be real exercise, not a stroll chatting with a friend. For this you don't need the declaration.
I have been stopped only once and that was coming back from my mum's upon entering the (small) town where I live; the policeman knew me and knew that my mum lives somewhere else so I didn't need to show him the declaration. So I am not really sure that my piece of paper will pass scrutiny but I hope so, as letting her do her own shopping would be infinitely more dangerous than me visiting her twice a week.
I am in minimal contact with others when shopping in the local supermarket (shopping must be in the outlet closest to where you live), but they let in only a limited number of people at a time (the others queue outside, rain or shine), which must keep a distance of at least one metre from each other when inside (and this is enforced, but we are becoming accustomed to keeping our distance from others). Oh and when you get in you have to use the antiseptic gel they provide and use disposable gloves. I also wear a surgical mask, although that is not compulsory (and they are sold out everywhere, we had a few at home from when we renovated). At check-out cashiers are protected by a large plexiglas screen and only one person at a time is allowed through and until they have finished bagging their stuff you are not allowed to go ahead.
When I visit her I wear a mask and disposable gloves, don't touch anything, always keep my distance and stay as little as possible, leave the shopping, chat for 10 minutes and leave.
The problem is that each morning, apart from when I go, she goes down to the newsagent to buy the paper. I have offered to buy her an online subscription (she has an iPad) but she says she wants the real thing. She wears a mask and gloves when she goes and only one customer at a time is allowed inside the tiny newsagents'. I can only keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best! Andrà tutto bene!
