Are we allowed 7 people in our house in different rooms?

[Firefliess]

DSD and her BF have come to stay this weekend. We also have DD and DSS and me and DH at home, so that makes 6 of us. DD wants her BF to stay over tomorrow night. I can't figure out whether that's allowed or not. It would mean 7 people in the house, but in no sense would we be "gathering" DD and her BF would get in late and go straight to her room. Rest of us probably we wouldn't even see him. Is that allowed? Or are people considered to be "gathering" simply by being in the same house? We're in England by the way and not in an area with any local lockdown

I think the reason that people get quite so vitriolic about this issue is that rule breakers eventually affect everyone in really grim ways, be it health, schools closing or economically. Normally I'm an absolutely "you do you, I'll do me" person but I've seen the impact of COVID and people that bend rules will have an impact on everyone. It's not just us having a go for the sake of it.

Pobblebonk you're right that the guidance isn't the law, but the guidance is based on the actual law.

Not necessarily. The guidance is an interpretation of the law, but there are countless instances of government guidance being found by the courts to be a misinterpretation of the law. Ask anyone who works in the SEN field, for instance.

@JenniferSantoro

How hard can it be to understand. No more 6. 7 comes after 6😳

It's only that simple if you ignore the fact that the rule applies to gatherings. On the basis of what is proposed, it appears to be the case that the maximum number of people in a gathering will be five.

It is 6 humans in one place - outside or inside. It is regardless of which room.

The point is they want less people getting together - that’s it! So thinking you can add an extra child or 2 or have more people by being in different rooms defeats the point.

If less people meet there is less spread.

If less people meet in homes it allows that bit of extra flexibility which lets schools remain open.

The gov has to choose where they want to ‘give’ the slack they have. The slack is reduced with cases increasing so they are reining in on pubs and social gatherings (not fully in either case) so schools remain open. The alternative is schools close but people gather more.

Astonished how people don’t know the rules.

Surely you look at BBC website or Gov website if you want to know??

The law is as someone helpfully said now consolidated

" @Xenia - consolidated legislation is here which make the law a bit easier to follow! www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/684/contents"

In my view under the law the first post is allowed.
"DSD and her BF have come to stay this weekend". I will assume DSD is over 18 and not excluded for custody exemption but if she were even more likely to be lowful.

" We also have DD and DSS and me and DH at home, so that makes 6 of us. DD wants her BF "

In my view boyfriend will not be gathering and they are okay.

It is 6 humans in one place - outside or inside.

So no more than 6 humans in the park?

The BBC and gov websites talk about meeting in groups of 6. They don't talk about being in a house with more than 6 people. It is genuinely ambiguous as this thread shows. It reminds me of the "can you take more than 1 walk a day" threads from back in early lockdown. Everyone (on both sides) was so sure they were right.

I have never been more grateful to live in Scotland. You can't have anyone in your house. Simple.

Doesn't Scotland have an exemption for families over 6 people (I have 5 children) or children on custody visits?

I’d just do it anyway OP, no use asking on here. You can weigh up the risks yourself. Could you possibly have them round on different days (so one boyfriend goes whilst the other comes over etc)

DDs grandparents had her the other day whilst me and DP were working and they also had their other two grandkids over so 5. Me and DH went over to pick her up after we had both finished so there was 7 of us but we would all have mixed separately anyway (even if just one of us had picked DD up) it’s all nonsense really

@Xenia

Doesn't Scotland have an exemption for families over 6 people (I have 5 children) or children on custody visits?

You can have custody visits or child care with grandparents etc for young kids. No exemptions for larger families because no-one is allowed in anyone else's house

@belowradar

For those thinking you are allowed to have separate gatherings in the same house that don't meet - apart from the air not observing your restrictions and distributing the virus around your house, if your neighbours notice you have more than 6 in your house and call the police, do you think the police will agree with your reasoning? If not, you probably know you are breaking the law and just trying to justify your law-breaking to yourself while knowing you could not justify it to a police officer.

What the police might or might not think really isn't the issue. There have been a distinctly embarrassing number of cases where Covid prosecutions have been thrown out or overturned because the police and even the CPS have misinterpreted the law.

Just pointing out that if you are looking for loopholes, what you are proposing is probably not allowed.

The answer is no.

6 people in a house including grounds. All humans count as one in England. Even twins. Pets are not counted even though your cat may be Covid positive.

It is 6 humans in one place - outside or inside. It is regardless of which room.

No, it is a gathering of six people. Why are so many people determined to ignore that fact?

@RedskyAtnight yes they do! It clearly says a ban on groups of more than six people gathering in homes, parks, pubs and restaurants. This applies to gatherings both indoors and outdoors.

No. All live human bodies in your house count @30under

That's the clearest messaging I've seen since 'Stay At Home'. I think they should use you. The messaging is obviously way too unclear when these threads go on for pages and pages of discussion about what the rules are.

@Pobblebonk you will have fun explaining your semantics to the police.

@Pobblebonk

In your interpretation can you have different groups of 6 in the same house as long as there is no interaction? Where is the limit in your understanding?

it clearly says a ban on groups of more than six people gathering

But is it a gathering if you have a group of 5 in one place and a group of 2 in another place and the 2 groups never come into contact with each other? That's what this thread is about.

There is no definition of "gathering" in normal English where this would be considered a "gathering" of 7. Solicitors on the thread have also said this. And yet so many people are adamant that the rules are clear. They are not clear.

It is ambiguously worded, and the cynic in me would say that's deliberate. But to my mind, we should all be erring on the side of caution to minimise risk and try and keep the basics of life going as much as possible.

Exactly Burpees It would have been perfectly easy to say "You must not have more than 6 people in your house unless they are all members of your household, social bubble or are exempted for one of the reasons listed". But it didn't. It talks about "gathering".

@RedskyAtnight

Exactly Burpees It would have been perfectly easy to say "You must not have more than 6 people in your house unless they are all members of your household, social bubble or are exempted for one of the reasons listed". But it didn't. It talks about "gathering".

Again, yay for the clear Scottish guidelines!

Why have several posters said about support bubbles? Aren't support bubbles only for people who live alone/single parents? Or has that changed?!