By Ben Kerrigan-
Social distance will not be necessary for single people wanting to mix with people in other households as from Saturday, Downing Street has said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that single adults can spend the night at another house in a “support bubble” in an attempt to combat loneliness.
AD: Capeesh Restaurant
Mr Johnson told the daily Downing Street briefing that the new “support bubbles” apply to single adult households or single parents with children under 18.
“All those in a support bubble will be able to act as if they live in the same household, meaning they can spend time together inside each others’ homes and do not need to stay two metres apart,” he said.
He added: “I want to stress that support bubbles must be exclusive, meaning you can’t switch the household you are in a bubble with or connect with multiple households.
AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar
“And if any member of the support bubble develops symptoms, all members of the bubble will need to follow the normal advice on household isolation.”
Under the new guidelines, a grandparent who lives alone would be able to form a bubble with one of their children, which means they could go to see them and interact with their grandchildren as normal
A single parent could form a bubble with a parent or friend so they can interact as normal. Two single people who both live on their own could form a bubble And a couple who do not live together could form a bubble, but only if they both live alone.
The prime minister explained that if a person lives alone but their partner has a flatmate, for example, then they can form a bubble but the flatmate cannot then form their own with another household.
The provisions stipulate clear requirements in the event that anyone within a bubble develops coronavirus symptoms. Under those circumstances, everyone within the bubble must self-isolate for 14 days.
There were 8.2 million people living alone in the UK last year, according to the Office for National Statistics, with just under half aged 65-and-over. There were also 2.9 million single-parent households.
It does not apply to grandparents who live together, people living in houses of multiple occupancy, such as flat shares, or to couples who already live together.
The Prime Minister said that those who are shielding cannot be advised to form a bubble.
He added: “However, I want to say 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.”
AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar