Single Brits shielding still CAN’T hug families and must stay isolated, Govt says
MILLIONS of Brits shielding from coronavirus still can't hug family - and must stay isolated, the Government has tonight warned.
Boris Johnson announced that those living alone or single parents with children can create a "support bubble" with one other household.
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It will allow many who have been lonely or isolated during lockdown to hug their loved ones - as they no longer have to stay two metres apart.
But the Prime Minister said that the new rule does not apply to those who are shielding.
Speaking at No10 tonight, he said: "Unfortunately we cannot advise anyone who is shielding to form a support bubble at this stage, given their particular vulnerability to the virus.
"I know how hard it is for those of you who are shielding and we will say more next week about the arrangements that will be in place for you beyond the end of June."
Vulnerable and elderly Brits were finally allowed outside at the start of the month - after 10 weeks in lockdown.
This enabled those who are shielding to see loved ones like children and grandchildren - but from a safe two metre distance.
The latest relaxed measures will still allow shielded Brits to see loved ones outside and from a distance, but they won't be able to have physical contact.
Those in the vulnerable category include organ transplant recipients, those on chemotherapy, kidney dialysis patients and those with severe respiratory conditions.
The move is the latest in a series of “baby steps” to ease the restrictions imposed on March 23.
From Saturday, some of those who have spent lockdown alone will be allowed to join up with another household to form a "support bubble".
They would then be allowed to mix as though they were one household, spending time together indoors, not having to follow the two-metre rule and would be allowed to stay overnight.
Ministers believe the latest easing of the lockdown will help those who have been left isolated while still restricting the spread of coronavirus.
The move could allow children in single-parent households to see one set of grandparents.
A grandparent living alone would be allowed to visit the house of their child and grandchildren.
But the move would not allow a couple to visit both parents as neither household would comprise a single adult.
We are making this change to support those who are particularly lonely as a result of lockdown measures
Boris Johnson
Officials admitted the measure was not going to benefit everyone but was targeted at those who had been left isolated by the lockdown restrictions.
At the Downing Street briefing, the Prime Minister said: "We are making this change to support those who are particularly lonely as a result of lockdown measures.
"It's a targeted intervention to limit the most harmful effects of the current social restrictions.
"It is emphatically not designed for people who don't qualify to start meeting inside other people's homes, because that remains against the law."
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The Government has been looking at the bubble policy for months to see if it can help provide some easing to the lockdown rules.
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But as the R rate teeters just below one, there were fears that allowing large groups of people to mix would start to spread the virus quickly again.
Sir Patrick Vallance said tonight that the R rate is now below one in all regions.