Photos of friends on social media with their arms around family/friends

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I don't believe I'm wrong in understanding that rules are still in place to practice social distancing with everyone outside your household/bubble.... So I feel so frustrated seeing friends/extended family (cousins, uncles) posting photos on social media with their arms around their family and friends, heads close together, etc. I'm not talking about with people they are in a bubble with. One friend posted photos of her family on holiday with both her parents-in-law plus her sister-in-law and her family and they're in photos all very close together.
My Mum asked me last week if we can start hugging and I really thought carefully about it and said no. She cried about it but I know it's the right decision but it's like a kick in the teeth seeing friends photos.
I worked on a Covid High Dependency Unit for the first 3 months and I truly feel broken by my experiences. I do not want to go back there.

I thought this too, it’s one thing to do it it’s another to put it on social media. It’s unfair really, I’m in a sort of similar situation to you because some of my family are shielding so can’t even visit them in the garden because it would be too tricky to keep my DCs away. Even if they aren’t shielding anymore the numbers aren’t good enough to reassure them that a cuddle will be fine.

Your not the only one, I’ve thought exactly the same seeing people’s photos on my news feed and knowing there are multiple households and all squashed together/hugging. I guess people will make their own risk descisions but I won’t be doing the same just yet.
It’s similar to all those on beaches, attractions, etc, yes the beach/attraction might not be too over crowded, but only because the more conscientious of us are staying away on purpose!
One particular post was quite shocking, they are abroad visiting family and appreared to be asking friends which country they didn’t have to quarantine from, so deliberately seeking to fly somewhere other than where they were, just so they didn’t have to quarantine on arrival back, shocking! Especially as the person is in healthcare!

Yep it's really annoying me. Why can't people meet and social distance? What's the need to be touching and have your faces smushed together for selfies?

My cousins done the loop hole in quarantine.. was in Tenerife when it was announced. Flew to Greece to do her time 🙈 Shes a teacher & no children so she can swan around happily. I don’t blame her though, there are far less cases in Tenerife & Greece than there are in the area she lives in which is newly locked down. The idea she had to quarantine in a place she was more likely to catch it was laughable.

I can imagine how you, more than most, know what is truly at stake in regards to the virus. I’m sorry for all you must have witnessed. I won’t hug my parents yet either. I love them too much to ever knowingly put them at risk, however small it may be.

I thought that was allowed now if you met less than 6 other people at once 🤷🏻‍♀️ probably wrong but that's what everyone I know goes by, doesn't seem to be clear rules anymore so we just do what we think reasonable x

Yes, this drives me mad.

And I think lots of the people doing it genuinely don't realise they are going against the guidelines because they're often people who I know have been careful through lockdown and followed all the rules. Now suddenly they're having a 'girls' night in' taking selfies all crowded on the sofa or meeting groups of friends at the zoo and taking pictures of all the children with their arms round each other.

I don't saying anything though. Just grit my teeth and scroll past.

No, vake - you can meet 5 other people but must stay 2m apart where possible and 1m apart where you can't manage 2. You shouldn't be having close physical contact.

I have been breaking the rules without realising then. Went out with my friends tonight for a 50% off meal, but you can't be apart on a table together. I thought we were being encouraged to go out together now and get together with friends

How would it make sense that you can get that close to people, 6 people at a time? You could hug 6 people a day for a week would that not be a risk?

Totally agree that the guidelines are a farce but it does state 1m at absolute minimum unless in your bubble (i think??)

@vake that’s fine as it’s 1m as far as I am aware...?

Yes, we are. I've been finding it possible to do that with distancing. Though I can see it's impossible inside a restaurant with multiple different households. I've sat at large outside tables with 4 other people all from households and we just pushed the chairs right out from the table and held our drinks. But inside I've only been inside with one other household and we just sat at either end of the table - was probably about 1.25m distance between us.

I had just assumed they were in a bubble with you. All my friends are with other at work, family members and kids at nursery and kids have to go to friends and family for childcare, so just thought that must be ok as a bubble. I don't think anyone I know understands how bubbles work really

I think that's the case with the posts I'm seeing on social media too vake - they're not people who I think would break the rules willfully.

At the moment (afaik) there are only two types of bubble:

1. a school bubble
2. a support bubble which can only consist of two households and is only allowed when at least one of the two households is made up of a single adult or a single adult+children.

Nobody else can be in a bubble and should be 1m+ away from everyone they socialise with.

I thought that was weeks ago. I'm married so really shouldn't be seeing anyone else? I thought we were way past that. Seen so many posts of grandparents and grandkids reuniting etc, should my kids not be seeing their grandma then? I honestly assumed we were way past that stage 😐 I don't actually know anyone who is still socially distancing properly anymore , everyone just says they're back to normal now, out with mates, kids at friends houses now, kids playing out on parks with about 100 other kids

Yes, you can see them! You're just supposed to be 1m+ apart. I know a lot of people aren't. And I don't think it seems to be a problem outside. But a lot of local spikes have been blamed on lack of distancing indoors - whether that's families in a house or drunk people in a pub.

All those activities and meet ups you mentioned fit in the guidelines, as long as distance is maintained. To the best of my knowledge, that hasn't changed and is supposed to be key in enabling socialising to happen without transmission increasing

So kids can stay over at grandmas house but shouldn't touch them? And 1m plus everywhere unless your wearing a mask then you can be closer. Is that correct?
I was with a nurse today who cane into a house for a visit. And 5 mins later she announced she had to put on PPE. Is that not too late then? And my cousin works on a COVID positive ward as a nurse with 8 patients atm, they have said she can still go out and socialise like she normally would, no need to isolate.
I'm sorry I'm just trying to get some clarification we have obviously been Under the wrong impression

I don't want to try and make out like I'm some kind of authority on the subject! But, by my own understanding of the rules, I would say:

Yes, your children can stay with their grandparents. Yes, in theory they should be 1m+ away but if they are young and your parents are caring for them rather than just seeing them that's impossible and it would be a childcare situation rather than a social situation.

The nurse needs PPE when close to her service user/patient. Maybe she should have put it on on entering the house but maybe she only needed it when she came close to the person. I don't know what her rules are.

Your cousin can socialise within the same rules as everyone else because a) she wears PPE at work and b) work rules are less stringent than social rules because work is essential and advisors believe we have a contact/transmission limit which we can't tip over without sending cases shooting up. They've chosen to accept more frequent contact for work purposes and limit it for social ones.

But, as I said, I'm not an expert!

I think it’s ridiculous. People are going to have to go back to work if not currently and they will be in close proximity of each other and touching the same surfaces, sat on the same chairs and so on. Schools will be going back. Judgement like this does not help so you saw family members hugging... did you also see their state of mental health? I don’t think everything should be comprised due to COVID FGS!

@Bananabread8 exactly!

There is NO way on gods earth I'm not hugging my loved ones.

@manicinsomniac
In Scotland children under 12 do not have to social distance from one another.
In wales children under 11 do not have to social distance from one another.
I’m not sure why England is saying they do tbh, especially when most of these children are going back to school in September when they aren’t going to be practising social distancing. I personally think it’s more important for the children to mix with their friends as normal due to the huge amount of time they have had away from school. I do accept this isn’t following the rules.

The only bubbles currently 'allowed' are single adult households joining with another household.

School bubbles.

That is it.

That is what the English government are recommending at the moment and with Covid cases going up recently ,that is what we are sticking too.

I have not touched another person apart from my household since March.

My children have not hugged their grandparents.

We just go onto Gov.uk and read the current guidelines.

@Bananabread8 for us , it is about protecting our older parents and loved ones.

We are doing our bit. Its horrible but we can wait if it means this goes away quicker.

I do feel that other people carrying on as normal is dragging it out more.

Obviously we have to get a vaccine too but we all socially distanced then maybe cases would go down.

I am not a hugger so am loving not having to hug or kiss people when l see them. Honestly am so confused with the rules that am following my own set which is to stay outside with people and keep my distance.

I have been thinking the same. It's clear that a lot of people are not understanding the guidance. You can actually only meet one other household indoors. The 5 other people thing is only outside. And with all of the meeting other people it's 2 meters wherever possible, where it's not it 1 meter with a mask.
I have been thinking it's ok, they have just got close for a photo, but I suspect it's not that, people are just not maintaining distance anymore.
I find the question and answer section on the government website really useful for understanding what I can and can't do.

www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-people-from-outside-your-household-from-4-july