When will we be allowed inside houses?

[FallenSky]

As above. If pretty much all shops are opening, pubs, hairdressers etc logically we must be allowed inside people's houses as well? I've been reading lots about the pubs and reducing the distance from 2 to 1m but nothing about visiting family inside etc. Has anyone seen anything indicating when this might happen?

[Velvetpeel]

People need to know that in England it’s actually currently ILLEGAL to enter someone else’s house unless for permitted reasons. Which I think is completely wrong but it’s not guidance. It’s the law.

[cheezy]

Well I had my parents over for lunch at the weekend. They are both in their 70s and in good health. We’ve all been self isolating for so long now I can’t believe there’s much risk involved.

[yomommasmomma]

I agree it is not ideal at all, but it is miles better than what we have now.

I believe there is another option they are looking at which will be limiting numbers inside others houses, but not limiting numbers of households.

[starfish4]

Personally, I'm not comfortable about going into someone else's house and vice versa. None of our friends and family have suggested it, so luckily we're all on the same. I have two jobs, everyone is constantly cleaning, keeping their distance and one constantly has all the windows open (meaning heating sometimes on).

If you let someone in your house, I think you've got to be prepared to make sure the toilet is clean and disinfected, plus any other areas they may touch, like handles, door frames, tablets and then be prepared to go over them again after they've left. Also, if people aren't wearing face masks, think about every surface around them and disinfect.

I keep saying it, but I know a few who've had it and one who lost their life to it, it really isn't worth the risk of passing it to someone you care about, especially as we have other options, picnics, a walk or coffee/tea/meal in the garden.

[StealthPolarBear]

Littlegoth if you're waiting for zero risk you will be waiting the rest of your life. Everything has risks.

[Hugglespuffed]

@starfish4 I think you're mixing up though. For most people it is about visiting family who live far away.

[TheDailyCarbuncle]

@Velvetpeel

People need to know that in England it’s actually currently ILLEGAL to enter someone else’s house unless for permitted reasons. Which I think is completely wrong but it’s not guidance. It’s the law.

Yes and all you need to say is 'I'm here because I had a fight with my partner' or 'I'm the cleaner/babysitter' and boom not illegal any more. Which illustrates how ridiculous the law is in the first place.

[Chloemol]

Possibly tomorrow

Yet again lots of MNetters encouraging people to break current rules

I despair of the lot of you, they are there for a reason, let’s hope we don’t end up in another lockdown

[ginsparkles]

Indoors is the risk. I don't think on the 4th July all these places will suddenly open. That's too my h of a risk to the R rate. We will see a gradual opening still. Pub gardens, self catering holidays. Indoors and hair dresser will come later. They have said these things will open 4th of July at the earliest. When they opened retail they didn't do it in one lump, they had two stages.
I suspect we will get similar to Scotland first. Allowed to meet a household or two outside before we are allowed into peoples houses.

[StealthPolarBear]

We are allowed to meet another household outside.

[Hugglespuffed]

@ginsparkles but we already are allowed to do that?!

[FallenSky]

To those saying just do it, I appreciate that some people are making that decision but it's not something I am willing to do. I'm making risk assessments based on my family circumstances but still sticking to the rules, as illogical as I find some of them because I don't think I'm somehow special and an exception.

Watching with interest this week to see what will be said. I truly believe that there's a fine balance somewhere to help the economy/children/mental health whilst also keeping the numbers low enough that it doesn't overwhelm the NHS. No idea what that balance is though...

[ginsparkles]

True, but limited to 6 people, they will probably make that bigger. Or they may say one household inside. But I doubt it will suddenly be we can all pop round each other's houses. The biggest risk in close contact inside.

[Ze1tGeist]

my friend and her family have just had a negative covid test. she and her husband came into my house at the weekend to help with some furniture. i disinfected everything after they left.

no biggie.

[StinkySaurus]

There needs to be a consideration of air circulation. Most houses won’t have adequate air circulation, unlike shops with air conditioning and air filtration systems.

[FrugiFan]

Supermarkets may have air filtration systems but most shops don't, certainly not the little independent shops in my town - they're basically the same as someone's house.

[Groundhogdayzz]

Out of everyone I know in RL my family are the only ones actually following the guidance, everyone else has been having people round for a couple of weeks now.

[DidSheReallySayThat20]

I've started To 3 seperate houses all. Of which only visit my home.. Mainly outdoors but if rains I'm. Not going to send my dds friends zeay when they're having fun.. They've had a shit time as it is.

[DidSheReallySayThat20]

Away sorry toddler clambering.

[Sleepydogs]

My 93yr old grandmother is at the very end of her tether and cries most days from loneliness and frustration trying to manager herself at home.
She’s pulled her back trying to vacuum (I usually do it for her but I last did it right before lockdown).
Today I drove 25 miles and took my vacuum cleaner and cleaned right through for her - spent about 4 hours cleaning. We were in the same rooms, I had a glass of water and used her loo.
I washed my hands and as much we’d have loved it didn’t hug or kiss on leaving.
She’s happier, she had got to the point she just didn’t care and was happy to take the risk. Just hope she’ll be ok - it had got to the point that she was going downhill mentally fast. Sometimes needs must.

[TheFormerPorpentinaScamander]

@Sleepydogs

My 93yr old grandmother is at the very end of her tether and cries most days from loneliness and frustration trying to manager herself at home.
She’s pulled her back trying to vacuum (I usually do it for her but I last did it right before lockdown).
Today I drove 25 miles and took my vacuum cleaner and cleaned right through for her - spent about 4 hours cleaning. We were in the same rooms, I had a glass of water and used her loo.
I washed my hands and as much we’d have loved it didn’t hug or kiss on leaving.
She’s happier, she had got to the point she just didn’t care and was happy to take the risk. Just hope she’ll be ok - it had got to the point that she was going downhill mentally fast. Sometimes needs must.

Assuming your Grandma lives on her own she is allowed to form a support bubble and have someone in her home anyway.
Unless you arent in England

[eeeyoresmiles]

You've always been able to visit vulnerable people to provide care (whether or not it's actually a good idea has depended on individual risk factors, theirs and yours).

I think it's important to remember that government decisions about allowing types of mixing aren't just based on assessing the direct risks to the people doing the mixing, which is why it can seem inconsistent. They're also based on the effects on the overall infection rate if however many more interactions between households take place.

So while it might seem illogical to be allowed to do X but not Y when they seem like very similar interactions, the issue is that allowing Y as well as X over the whole country could add millions of interactions between households and increase the spread of the virus significantly. That would happen even if the risks to the individuals in the interactions were the same for Y as for X. And as someone else has said, at the moment they're prioritising the most economically useful interactions to save jobs.

[Sleepydogs]

Nope we are in Wales. Still, we made that decision for ourselves.

[flamingochill]

Hopefully the UK nations will start having similar rules so that people can meet family and friends who live over the border.

I assume that the next stage is for single people to be in a bubble with a second household or two-adult households to be able to form a bubble with another household? If it's the latter then you obviously end up with the problem of whether maternal or paternal grandparents get priority but luckily it's not a problem that I have to worry about.

Sleepy dogs- I think the providing care exception applies to your 93yo grandma. If that's the rule in Wales I hope that she can continue getting help regularly. Your heart must have been breaking at her situation

[AuntieMarys]

My 70 year old brother and his wife are coming for dinner on 3rd July. Risk assessment done.
We are all adults and have had enough of being treated like idiots by a government who do what they want.