Support bubble rules: Have support bubbles changed amid the second lockdown?
LOCKDOWN has clamped down on England this week, with nationwide restrictions in place until December 2. Have support bubbles changed?
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Lockdown will deprive millions of people in England of extensive social contact until early December this year. The latest coronavirus measures mark a change of tack for the Government, which has, until now, focussed on regional management. An exponential rise in both cases and deaths has forced ministers to mandate separating people across the country.
Have support bubbles changed for the second lockdown?
Support bubbles emerged in the summer as the Government relaxed some restrictions to allow for social contact.
They allow for some physical closeness during the pandemic but come with strict limits.
In England, two households may form a support bubble as long as they meet select criteria.
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One household, regardless of composition, can reach out to another single adult residence.
They must either live alone or with children under 18, no matter how many.
The first household may form a support bubble whether they have at-risk residents or not.
People contained within the bubble do not have to social distance with each other, can visit outdoor places together, and stay overnight in the other's home.
If possible, people should form support bubbles with other local households to avoid unnecessary contact.
Anyone entering the new lockdown with a support bubble already in place can retain it until December 2.
But they remain as exclusive as before, with np option to switch out constituents.
Those already involved in one must keep their current bubble, and lockdown rules apply to every member.
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If Test and Trace contacts someone within this bubble, all members must remain at their home.
If one member develops symptoms, everyone has to make sure they self isolate.
Social bubbles can form across local borders, but they will depend on how these rules vary.
Anyone living in Scotland and Wales will need to check with local authorities before forming a bubble elsewhere and vice versa.
Have childcare bubbles changed in the second lockdown?
Additional bubble rules apply to families with children aged under 14, which will remain during the second lockdown.
They may form a "childcare bubble" with another household for informal childcare.
Informal, in this case, means unpaid and unregistered, and much like social bubbles, these cannot change members.