"Bubble policies"---picking a few friends and sticking to them

[Kokeshi123]

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-coronavirus-lockdown-bubble-strategy-18149514

Some countries have been starting to introduce (or mull the introduction of) "bubble" policies---where people are asked to socialize with only a very limited group of people and stick to just that group.

My main thoughts are that (a) 10 people might be too much--difficult to keep track of, but also (b) I suspect that a lot of people are going to start gradually trickling towards this kind of solution anyway. This came up on my feed just after I posted that if school closures were to go on and on, I would personally start mixing with one or two other trusted families, to pool educational duties and also to give the kids a bit of normality. I am really not okay with kids going months on end with no interaction with their peers except on a screen.

Given that most people have been extremely responsible and supportive regarding lockdown, I think this could actually work quite well for a bit?

[onemouseplace]

I don't think we'd end up being on anyone's list - both sets of parents live too far away to make it practical to be in their bubble. Closest friends would probably choose their families.

Then there would be the slight drama if any of our group of friends teamed up making it really obvious who their 'better' friends are amongst the group.

[MigginsMs]

How can this possibly be enforced?

[helpfulperson]

Why does it need to be enforced? The principle behind it is that the smaller number of people you are in contact with the less likely that one of them has COVID and will pass it onto you. It's not that you have to have 10 contacts or that the world will collapse if there is 11. It's about reducing risk not removing it.

Surely as we are all grown ups the Gov should be able to explain why it's a good idea and people will then do it. I'm sure Nicola Sturgeon has mentioned it as a possibility. For all the people talking about people ignoring lockdown there has actually been around 80% compliance which is higher than expected.

[MrsWhites]

I couldn’t actually believe something this stupid is being considered? How on earth can you police something like this?

I can’t see anyone sticking to it properly, max 10 people from another one or two households max. My mum and dad for example have 3 children, living in 3 different households, with 5 grandchildren, plus both have mothers living in another 2 households. How do they decide which children/grandchildren/parents to include in their group of 10??

[MrsWhites]

If it’s not enforced in any way then surely people just won’t stick to it, it will essentially become a policy of no groups larger than 10.

So people will end up with a ‘list’ of lots more than 10 people but just not mix with more than 10 of them at once surely??

[Jaxhog]

Unless it's exclusive, I can't see how it would work. If my 10 people each mix with 5-10 different people then we're all back to the same situation we were in before. If its a way to allow up to 10 people to mix exclusively e.g. 2 or 3 households or 5 single friends (and no-one else), then yes it would work. Not sure how you'd police it though.

[Leighhalfpennysthigh]

As I've not seen my partner since Feb I'm definitely for this as a way to see him.

However my first thoughts were around whether anyone other than my partner actually including my partner to be honest! liked me enough to want to see me......followed by "can't wait for the drama on Facebook and MN over this!

[Jaxhog]

Surely as we are all grown ups the Gov should be able to explain why it's a good idea and people will then do it.

But we aren't. Too many people are already looking for ways to 'interpret' the lock-down rules so they can do what they like.

[circusintown]

Oh god.

Just another way of finding "loopholes"

So we can totally disregard the dangers but pretend to the rest of the world that we had a strategy. We're not even trying

[Xenia]

Unless everyone were a couple with 2 children it is going to be very hard to operate such a scheme. I think i would be better just being encouraged rather than become the law. Also it is unfair on households such as say 8 students who live together in the same house.

I would rather we lifted lock down on 11 May come what may and then left it to people to decide what element of risk they should take on and work to a new normal where those who have had no financial help during covid 19 are put under a much lower tax regime than those who have had furlough etc.

[Abbccc]

It feels a bit like picking teams in school PE lessons.

[Lumene]

This will make some already socially isolated people feel awful if they are not included in groups.

What about shielded people and those living with them?

How do you pick a side of grandparents/siblings if your numbers are too high?!?

[Connie222]

It would be a nightmare and people would abuse it.

Also my sil is still working in her school two days a week. In laws are over 70. If she saw them then they would be exposed to anything she had been exposed to.

As far as I’m concerned it would be shit for me. I’m pregnant and perfectly happy not seeing a soul outside the family I live with. I’d be under great pressure from Dh and my In laws as well as my own dad who would want to come and stat immediately. I’d have a lot of fights as I wouldn’t do it.

[IAmReportingYouForBBQing]

I'm very lucky (?) that I am a carer for my nephew and have been trained to deliver very specific therapy for him. My sister is also my best friend and tbh not much has changed for us since lockdown started. I still go to her house 3-5 times a week to help out and do work with her little boy and we would both be more than happy carrying this on. Neither of us see other people, we shop occasionally but get most things delivered . I am happy to keep my " bubble" tiny and think it's a good idea.

Would it be hard to police? Of course it would, people are already chomping at the bit to report people for tiny infractions without any real actual evidence to go from other than " they have left home every day and aren't working ". But i think it's more reliant upon people policing it themselves. I certainly don't want to get sick but am happy working with my nephew and sticking to our rules. It's worked for us from day one so I know that we can do it. I don't see why others can't?

[Confusedasusual78]

We’re in another country so don’t have family here and our friends don’t either. This would work well for us as we have, for example, two other sets of couples with one child each, similar age to our child. They were all playing together before this, if we were to meet up just with these friends-so 6 adults, 3 children for example, it could work. None of us then go back to elderley or vulnerable family members, as we don’t have any here. We’d only be risking infecting one another if we happened to have caught it elsewhere, shopping etc..I’m weighing up if this would work/would be safe?

[Confusedasusual78]

We all live v close to each other anyway and regularly see each other at the quiet beach or the woods near our home, where we stand a distance away, shouting across to each other, it’s sad for the babies who are so used to playing and hugging one another.

[Eyewhisker]

Sounds like a very quick way to discover who your real friends are. Some friendships would never recover. And limiting it to two households does not work for both sets of grandparents and extended family.

Totally agree with Xenia. They should treat us like grown-ups and allow us to assess our own risk

[TruffleShuffles]

I just don’t see it being possible for a lot of people. My husband is one of six and all siblings have partners and multiple children. This way more than 10 so if carried out correctly are they saying my in laws need to pick their favourites? Also do I really want to waste my 10 on my in laws....

[FourTeaFallOut]

I don't think it will work. It's too complicated for people a nation that is still nutting out the complexities of being allowed out for one lot of exercise.

[TheReluctantCountess]

I don’t have ten friends!
My family live a long way away (four-five hour drive). Would I be able to see them?

[Howmanysleepsnow]

I could see my parents... but only if they chose us over my DSis (6 in our house, 4 in hers)
I could see my DSis... but only if neither of us saw our parents
I could see the family of one of the DC’s friends... but the other DC wouldn’t benefit, and it’s unlikely they’d choose us anyway!
DH could see a friend with a household of 4 people, but DC and I wouldn’t know any of them or necessarily even enjoy their company.
Personally I have acquaintances not friends, so no other options.

[RhymingRabbit3]

Theres no way to police this. Although realistically theres no way to police people going out for exercise more than once, or walking for longer than they drive or anything like that. It has to be at least partly down to individuals common sense and risk assessment.

Far easier to say you're allowed to meet family/ friends but in groups of no more than 10 and from no more than 2 households at one time. And the meetings cannot take place in public, only in someone's house/ garden.

So we could visit my parents and separately DHs parents, but not together. They could visit all of their children just not together.

[Notlostjustexploring]

Surely it's no more than 10 people at a time? I.e. one Sunday our family of four could meet one set of grandparents, the following Sunday we could have a playdate with one other family of 4? People can still see each other, but infrequently and small groups so keeps transmission rates low?

Makes sense. Seeing family and friends seems to be top of everyone's list, so to start enabling that is both sensible and humane.

I hope, hope, hope, hope, hope this is soon!!!!

[feelingverylazytoday]

Makes sense to me.
If you have a large extended family or friendship group you split into smaller groups for the time being instead of having big parties(and it won't be for ever).
If you want to see your non resident partner you can.
If someone needs support or informal care they can have visitors from friends or family to provide that.
I don't see why it needs 'enforcing' or 'policing' if people would use their common sense and act like mature responsible adults.

[effingterrified]

Sounds like a stupid idea.

For most people, that would involve seeing elderly parents - but that would involve putting them at risk.


People don't socialise in nice neat groups outside family - everyone lives/works in overlapping bubbles.