Why are other European countries...

[Thewheelsonthebus23]

Allowed to kiss and hug each other have been for a while now? I’m assuming it’ll be close family and partners who don’t live together only. But I still don’t understand why they did that a few weeks ago but here they’re saying we’ll be social distancing indefinitely?

I'm in Italy and we'll be visiting family for the first time since mid-February tomorrow. Because we are now allowed to. There will be no hugging or kissing.
DD (16) has been going out with her friends for the last two weeks. Because they're allowed to. No hugging or kissing. Social distanced and masks on.
My region currently has 10 positive cases. My province has had no new cases for three weeks.
But we aren't all running round hugging and kissing anyone.

I’ve never had the urge to hug mine or DH’s family either. Hugging was getting a bit much though, the women at work used to hug each other though they never hugged me, I must have given off some unhuggy vibe . Hopefully those days have gone now of hugging all and sundry

So the 8000 is based on self reported symptoms and confirmed cases. That's makes sense, but if anyone who had symptoms can get a test why aren't they as the 'official' numbers, those based solely on positive tests, are a lot lower.

Right I feel the need to make it clear, I was really meaning my DS hugging his grandparents. Not me as an adult hugging another adult.

I'm not in the UK. What are the rules there now about hugging family but not family in the same household?

Someone, on the news or brief said it was difficult to stop children sometimes if they were exited about seeing a relative and mentioned hugging a leg if they were small but avoiding the face, obviously do a risk assessment because of age and health but that sounds ok to me

@TheCanterburyWhales
In the uk we can only hug people we live with. Anyone outside our household we have to be 2m away from. I see lots of people breaking the rules now.

I mean it’s not so much hugging, but being physically close to, having a comfortable chat, rather than shouting over a distance... But to all intents and purposes, having a quick hug and having a cosy chat probably amount to the same risk.

I think I must be a very odd person. I can't remember the last time I hugged someone not my husband or children.

Well I'd quite like to hug and kiss my boyfriend (who don't live with). The hugging and kissing etc is pretty fundamental to it being a romantic relationship rather than just a friendship.

I can't remember the last time I hugged someone not my husband or children

God this country is so fucking weird.

Catsmother- thank you!

I miss hugging my friends. We need physical contact and not everyone has a partner or kids. Also to me it's a way of showing love. And I love my friends