Brits could meet with ONE other household ‘bubble’ of family or friends from June onwards
New guidelines published today reveal the Government is investigating whether it’s safe for two homes to mix together.
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Now being reviewed by SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies), it could see some friends and family finally reunited.
In a new outline of Boris’s vision, it says: “The Government has asked SAGE to examine whether, when and how it can safely change the regulations to allow people to expand their household group to include one other household in the same exclusive group.
“The intention of this change would be to allow those who are isolated some more social contact, and to reduce the most harmful effects of the current social restrictions, while continuing to limit the risks of chains of transmission.
“It would also support some families to return to work by, for example, allowing two households to share childcare.
“This could be based on the New Zealand model of household “bubbles” where a single ‘bubble’ is the people you live with.”
This would not come into effect until the Government is in stage two, so no earlier than June.
The Government’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty said: “We are looking at how to balance those risks in terms of households who are over 70s.”
But households would have to choose just one other group to include in their ‘bubble’. And it would have to be on a “strictly reciprocal basis”.
This could include the over-70s who are in the “clinically vulnerable” category who do not need to be shielded but are advised to “minimise contact with others outside their households”.
But if the over-70s are included in the ‘double bubble’ plan, it would force an appalling choice on households who still have two sets.
Speaking today, Boris said: “Nothing can substitute for human contact and so the Government has asked SAGE when and how we could safely allow people to expand their household group to include one other household, on a strictly reciprocal basis.”
The PM also published a lengthy plan to get the country back to school and work – without risking a huge second wave of infections
- Brits will be advised to wear face masks on public transport and anywhere where people can’t stay 2m apart
- The Government want all primary school kids to go back to school for a month before the summer holidays
- The public are now allowed to go outside for leisure reasons, but they can’t stay overnight for a holiday
- Sporting events to take place behind closed-doors for broadcast within weeks
Last night he gave a statement outlining the three stages of his plan, and today’s document features some of the small print.
But lots of the details are still missing from the huge document, with it raising more questions than it answers.
Boris will give a speech in the House of Commons this afternoon and will reveal more of his thinking to MPs, who will get a chance to quiz him on it.
Last week Scotland revealed it was looking at similar proposals.
A Scottish government document outlining the plan stated: “We are considering if and how we could make changes to allow people to meet with a small number of others (the number is under consideration) outside their own household in a group or “bubble” that acts as a single, self-contained unit, without connections to other households or ‘bubbles’.
“It is possible that this option would be introduced first for outdoor meetings, ahead of any change to permit indoor meetings of the bubble.”
You would still have to stick to social distancing rules when you spent time with anyone in your bubble.
Earlier Dominic Raab announced Brits can meet one friend or family member they don’t live with in a park – as long as they are two metres apart.
Yesterday it was confirmed that people could go out and meet up with one other person outside their household – such as a friend of family.
But if they are from another household they must stay 2m apart at all times.
However, the coronavirus laws ban groups of more than two people meeting up at once.
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