New guidelines published today reveal the Government in investigating whether it’s safe for two homes to mix together.
Now being reviewed by SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies), it could see 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.”
The proposals are being considered by ministers as they try to carve a path out of the strict lockdown and to a “new normal”.
But the ease in restrictions are not expected to be introduced for several weeks as the government sticks to trying to drive down Covid rates as low as possible.
- 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
Boris told the country yesterday his plans to return to a new normal: “We have been through the initial peak – but it is coming down the mountain that is often more dangerous.
“We have a route, and we have a plan, and everyone in government has the all-consuming pressure and challenge to save lives, restore livelihoods and gradually restore the freedoms that we need.
“But in the end, this is a plan that everyone must make work.”
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.
