Can I meet friends and family? UK’s new coronavirus lockdown rules explained
Boris Johnson has been accused of being too vague when announcing changes to England’s lockdown rules on Sunday. The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, attempted to flesh out some of the details in interviews on Monday morning, but not without causing some confusion.
Can you meet up with friends and/or family?
Under the previous rules, people were not permitted to meet up with friends or family. From Wednesday, people will be allowed to meet and sit down with one other person outdoors, if they remain two metres apart. Raab caused confusion on Monday when he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that a person could meet both their parents together. The Guardian understands the guidance published later on Monday will make clear that it is only permissible to meet up with one person from another household, whether a friend or family member, at a time.
How often can you go out?
The previous rules limited people to going out once a day to exercise, shop for necessities, attend to medical needs, provide care or to travel to or from work if key workers. People are now permitted to take “unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise” and sunbathe. Sports including tennis, golf, basketball, angling and swimming in lakes and rivers will also be allowed, but only within household groups and while maintaining a two metre distance from those outside the group. When asked on Monday, however, whether the new and much-criticised “stay alert” slogan meant stay at home as much as possible, Raab replied: “Yes.”
How far can you travel?
The government previously told people to stay local for exercise after complaints that some rural areas were being inundated by walkers and cyclists who had driven from afar. That has changed, Raab told BBC Breakfast. “You can drive as far as you want to drive to go and walk in a park or a particular area that you’re fond of as long as you maintain the social distancing,” he said. If people were travelling from one part of the UK to another, from England to Wales for example, they would need to be mindful of local regulations, he added.
When are people supposed to return to work?
Johnson attracted criticism for urging people unable to work from home, such as those in construction and manufacturing, to return to work this week. That was widely interpreted as requiring people to return to work on Monday, raising concerns about the lack of notice coupled with fears about workplace safety and travelling to and from work. Raab said people in nine sectors who are unable to work from home should go back to their place of work from Wednesday.
Read the original article at The Guardian