Fab news for single parents and those living alone !!

[Sunnydays123456]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-52988840

This will cause quite a bit of trouble in families as can already be seen on this thread. So if two people in a relationship flatshare and don't live together they still can't meet up. And as for seeing grandchildren it's a minefield.

The support guidance below clarifies the situation.

With regard to people who are shielding it says you can act as if you were a household so if the other person is willing to be very careful and follow guidance for people living with a shielding person perhaps it would be OK. If the mum of pp could restrict her outings and take extra care if she does go out and when travelling to visit, as a family member of a shielding person would many people in a household with a shielding person do still go out to work or shop with extra precautions so the risk would be similar to that.

@Viviennemary I suppose the thinking with people in a flat share is that they are not entirely on their own.

This is really to help people who have had no adult contact for 3 months.

That's a rubbish decision on your mum's part, AfishcalledBob, as your siblings have adult company and support already and you presumably could've really done with getting that from your mum.

"Equal" is not the same as "fair"!

I’ve already stayed at my parent’s house.

I haven't spoken to my DD since this new and have no idea how she feels about it but I'm not sure about it for us.

I'm in my early 70s DD and her DH have children, she is pregnant and her DH has to go into other people's homes as part of his work.

On the other hand I really feel she could do with a bit of additional support at the moment.

I'm fine about the idea of looking after the children when she goes into labour but obviously that depends as well on how everything is in a few months.

I think this news is going to cause quite a bit of upset in some families. The reaction of AfishcalledBob's mother for instance seems very unfair.

Why are so many people finding it hard to understand that this is for adults that LIVE ALONE - with or without children - and have had months without company or support of another adult.

Yes it sucks for everyone that life isn't normal right now but I'm sick of the lack of understanding and empathy for those that have been on their own the entire time. Can people not see why this would be harder for them? Can you not accept and be happy for those people that there is now a slight lifting of restrictions to allow those that live alone to bubble with another household so the loneliness and isolation can be somewhat removed. It's absolutely the right decision that it is allowed to happen. It should have been allowed from the start.

@YangShanPo where does it say shielding people can do this? That's explicitly ruled out in the guidance published yesterday.

It is worth reading the guidance, it has a lot more detail and more aspects to consider than are being discussed in the press etc.

www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-people-from-outside-your-household?utm_source=e51a81c3-504a-48be-9355-469253c88f96

@YangShanPo I think you may have confused shielding with vulnerable, the latter group are included explicitly in this guidance.

@pigsDOfly

If you live alone then this new guidance is for YOU if you want company or support after being on your own all the time. It's not to help out couples with childcare. If you don't feel comfortable with the risk and feel ok on your own for a bit longer then I would say don't do it.

I'm not referring to childcare help during labour, just generally. Already seen one coupe planning on packing the kids off to grandma so they can get some alone time. Hope grandma genuinely wants that otherwise it's pretty damn selfish.

What I find hilarious is the fact Boris thinks people are still following any kind of rule 🤣

@HTT10

I definitely am and a majority of people I know are.

millie because you can only meet outdoors and therefore is weather dependent. I have to travel 5 hours (including a ferry that's running at a quarter capacity) so would be too much driving in one day and I don't want to use public transport as taking the virus to them would be a bit shit.

@Blossom513 Thank you.

I supposed I'm thinking about support for her as it's not easy being heavily pregnant with small children and she's always tended to call me when she's needed help from me in the past.

I'm just a bit concerned because of the fact that my DD's DH is having to go into the homes of a good many other people in the course of his work.

It worries me for my DD as well tbh. We're both in a slightly raised level of vulnerability at the moment with this virus.

When I've spoken to her I might feel a bit more settled about it. There is a part of me that feels a bit nervous about it but I would feel I was letting her down if she wanted me to do it, even though I know it's supposed to be support for those of us who have been on our own.

It's so confusing. My 79 year old Mum is now assuming she can come to ours.

Personally, I'm not comfortable with having someone in the house yet. Don't think DH is either. Between three of us we have one working in an office, one in a shop and one in a shop and school, so also feel it's a risk for my Mum. She'd probably be safer going in the local quiet shop.

@Blossom513 great post

There is a paragraph in the guidance about taking into consideration everyone's vulnerabilities and also members' level of risk eg if someone works on frontline.

fessmess if you are single you can visit your parents and stay in their house, and they can form your bubble

I made my own bubble ages ago. I'm shielding and have been seeing my DP for a while now. He lives and works alone. Risk is tiny. I don't want to be in a bubble with anyone who have a large household, all of which are working and popping in and out of shops - or my parents who are meant to be shielding but don't.

I'll decide who I will see and when.

StrawberryJam200 Are you able to link to it please?

Sorry Strawberry, somehow missed your earlier post! Thanks

I just watched Whitty again and I think when he talked about two single adult households he was talking about the situation of the questioner. Later on in the answer he said two households of which at least one would be a single adult .

It also includes anyone who is under 70 but has health conditions including chronic mild to moderate respiratory disease, chronic heart, kidney or liver disease, chronic neurological conditions, diabetes or a weakened immune system because of conditions such as HIV and AIDS or medicines like steroid tablets.

@Discobar if you go through the updated info as referred to in your link HIV & AIDS are no longer specifically mentioned as conditions that put certain of us in the clinically vulnerable group. It's recognised that the vast majority in the UK who are stable on meds, decent CD4 count (or no longer taken) are at no greater risk than anyone else.

People with low CD4 or opportunistic illness (such as newly diagnosed) would be advised to shield on the other hand. (source: BHIVA)

Just one example of how variable a condition can be