How the hell are we supposed to self-isolate?!

[AngeloMysterioso]

Me, DH, DS aged 4.5 months. Moved to a new town in December, no family nearby, only a couple of friends with families of their own and the people from our NCT group.

We simply don’t have enough food to enable us to shut ourselves away. All the local supermarkets are being stripped bare. There are no online delivery slots available for the next month and people who have received deliveries are finding most of the stuff they ordered was unavailable. Our only option there would be to join the mile-long queues at the crack of dawn when social distancing simply isn’t a thing.

The local grocers/butchers etc have been overwhelmed with delivery orders and aren’t taking any more. Their shops are all still open though... but the smaller convenience stores have nothing left.

I have to have dairy free food as baby is query CMPA- can’t get hold of any of that at the moment. Have had to go to Boots every day since Tuesday to see if our prescribed formula has arrived yet- when I try to phone ahead and check nobody answers.

I don’t want to go out. I don’t want to get sick, I don’t want to make anybody else sick, I don’t want to be near other people, I don’t want to be part of the problem. But I also, you know, don’t want to starve... so how are we supposed to self-isolate when either DH or I have to go hunter-gathering almost every day?

you don't - you only self isolate if you are symptomatic - the rest of the time to reduce social contact as much as possible and clean your hands - it's tough right now but you have to carry on as safely as possible without making things so difficult

Is their an independent chemist locally - might be better to send the prescription to them - mine phones me when DD3's medication is ordered and when it arrives (Melatonin - not always readily available)

You don’t need to self isolate unless you have symptoms. No symptoms just means socially distancing rather than isolating. Everyone accepts food is a necessity so you will inevitably need to enter a supermarket and yeah, you may have to join the queues at 7am as shit as that is. My DH had to yesterday before work else we’d have been low on basics.

Read the instructions more carefully:

What am I allowed to do when social distancing?
You can go for a walk or run outdoors if you stay 2m (6ft) away from others
You can see family and friends if it's essential
You can walk your dog
You can provide essential care for elderly relatives and neighbours if you have no symptoms
You can go to the shops to buy food and groceries

What is self-isolation?

Self-isolating means staying at home and not leaving it, other than for exercise. Don't go to work, school or public areas during this time. If possible, you should not go out even to buy food or other essentials. If you are unable to get supplies delivered, you should do what you can to limit social contact when you do leave the house.

Self-isolation and social distancing

Tl;dr: If you need to go out to buy food, go out to buy food.