Boris Johnson lifts lockdown sex ban and says couples who live alone and apart can spend night together

COUPLES who live apart will be able to finally meet up and have sex indoors again after months separated - as long as one of them is living alone.

Boris Johnson tonight announced plans for 'single bubbles' of people to meet up from the weekend.

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If one person is living alone - or with people under 18 - they can join together with one other household.

So a couple with one person living alone could finally see their partner again and join up with their household.

The PM said tonight: "There are too many people, particularly those who live by themselves who are lonely and struggling with being unable to see friends and family.

"From this weekend we will allow single adult households, living alone, or single parents with children under 18, to form a support bubble with one other household."

However, only two households can be part of the same bubble - and people would not be able to see multiple households or partners.

The new lockdown changes are thought to affect around to 8.2 million people across the country.

The announcement also means:

• Grandparents who live solo will be able to finally hug their grandchildren again after months apart
• Single mums will be able to get help with childcare by bubbling up with another family
• But people who are shielded should not form bubbles with others if they are clinically extremely vulnerable and are shielding
• The rules will apply in England only from Saturday

Single people will have to pick just one household to visit - which could include the heartbreaking choice of which children or grandchildren to see.

If any member of that support bubble develops symptoms, all members of that bubble will need to follow that advice on household isolation, which is to self isolate for 14 days.

If others develop symptoms they should be tested too.

Officials stressed earlier that the policy was separate to the rules which allow people to meet up in groups of six outside their own household in a park or garden - as long as they were two metres apart.

Next week more lockdown restrictions are going to be relaxed when non-essential shops open for the first time since March.

Primary school kids in reception, year one and year six started returning to classrooms last week too - but most won't go back before September.

The PM has said it's still the intention to reopen bars, pubs, restaurants and hotels up from July 4 onwards - as long as the science says it's still safe to do so.