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

Also agree with you EarlGreyJenny. And tbh in OP's situation, the 7 people involved consist of her household + daughter's bf. So, if we actually employed the common sense we're not allowed to employ, that's much less risky than 6 people from different households mixing in the house. Plus the daughter is presumably mixing with the bf without social distancing anyway, so what OP wants to do is very little additional risk to her household.

Why have several posters said about support bubbles

If the people you are gathering with are only from your household or support bubble (yes, the thing for single adults) you are exempt from the rule of 6.

[quote Tadpolesandfroglets]@Pobblebonk you will have fun explaining your semantics to the police. [/quote]
Guess what, the police don't have the last word, the courts do. And police semantics about Covid laws have been repeatedly held to be wrong.

[quote EarlGreyJenny]@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?[/quote]
It's not my understanding, it's what the law says. The law only relates to a gathering, and a gathering is defined as "when two or more people are present together in the same place in order to engage in any form of social interaction with each other, or to undertake any other activity with each other"

@Pobblebonk

So there could be several groups of 6 in a house as long as they don't interact. Nah, surely we all know that that is not in the spirit of the guidelines whatever the ambiguity is.

But it's the law we're talking about, not "the spirit of the guidelines"

So there could be several groups of 6 in a house as long as they don't interact.

And if you live in a big enough house that several groups of 6 can entirely avoid each other whilst socially distancing intra-group, this would be ok. Most people don't live in big enough houses, so this is never a serious issue.

I

So the law is you can have as many people to your house as you like as long as they stay in separate groups of 6. Crack on everyone!

Bollocks to that.

I'd request a personal letter from bojo so you know which loophole you can exploit tbh.

I'm totally with you, EarlGreyJenny.

So the law is you can have as many people to your house as you like as long as they stay in separate groups of 6.

Yes, that's what the law is. Clearly having large numbers of people in your house is not a good idea, whatever groups they stay in, but being not a good idea, doesn't mean it's illegal.

Remember, until the rule of 6 came in, it was legal to meet in groups of up to 30 (although this was also a bad idea).

I personally think people need to consider both

• is it legal?
• is it safe?

(not necessarily in that order)

So the law is you can have as many people to your house as you like as long as they stay in separate groups of 6. Crack on everyone!

No. The law is that you should not MEET is groups of more than 6. There is literally no statement to say what you have said above

I find posts like this really infuriating. Yes the rules are annoying and restrictive but they are also clear that there must be no more than 6 people in a house or garden. It's really not hard to understand.

No. It's really not difficult. But you're probably going to do it anyway which is why we're in this goddam mess.

Yes the rules are annoying and restrictive but they are also clear that there must be no more than 6 people in a house or garden.

Have you actually read the thread? It's literally about the fact that the rules are not at all clear!!

No more than 6 in your house

If your daughter is that desperate for a lumber then send her and her boyfriend off for a walk.

I think people are confusing

• can I do this (as in, is it legal) with
• should I do this (which is an entirely different question)

So for OP's problem the answer to "can" she is (probably) "yes". The answer to "should" she will be dependent on her family's attitude towards risk.

@RedskyAtnight yes I've read the thread and I've also read the government guidance. I genuinely don't understand how people don't think they are clear.

Actually, @RedskyAtnight there is a definition of "gathering" in the legislation, s5(6)(a) Health Protection (Coronovirus Restrictions)(England) Regs 2020. "there is a gathering when two or more people are present together in the same place in order to engage in any form of social interaction with each other, or to undertake any other activity with each other;"

Gathering is categorically not "living people in one dwelling place" which is what the legislators would have written if they categorically meant you can't have other people in the house. Hence why workman can enter (because they're not intending on socialising).

So all you sanctimonious idiots spouting "six is six" are, in legal factual terms, totally utterly wrong.

The OP asked if it was OK. Legally, it's ambiguous (but as a lawyer, I'd say she has a good chance of getting found not guilty of an offence). Judge the morals, by all means, but if you're going to pronounce on the rules in such a patronising, bitchy way, for fucks' sake, get the fucking law right!

@Teakind There are many arguments on this thread explaining why they are not clear. And none explaining why they are, other than people claiming that the rules clearly state you can only have 6 people in your house (which they don't at all).

Ah, sorry @RedskyAtnight, I see you're actually on the same page as me with the legal position. (And my "don't be a patronising bitch was in no way directed at you... !)

You will presumably:

All walk through the same front door, possibly touch said door
Use the same toilet/bath/kitchen sink
Use the same kitchen cupboard door handles
Touch the same bannister as you go up or down the stairs
Breath the same air as it travels around your house

How is this difficult to get your head round? It's an infection, you can pass it to others you are physically close to if you have it yourself, to get rid of it we need to be around other people we don't live with less. It really isn't rocket science.

Thanks @WhatWillSantaBring I did look and couldn't find the legal definition - but good to know it does match the "common English" one - despite all the people claiming it is perfectly clear that it means something else!

IYes the rules are annoying and restrictive but they are also clear that there must be no more than 6 people in a house or garden.

Actually, they don't state that at all

It's really not hard to understand.

I'm struggling. Help me out. Show which part clearly says you cannot have more then 6 people in a house

@WhatWillSantaBring

It is very interesting to hear your view. What's your take on the legal position when there is or isn't mingling?

So scenario A; the daughter and boyfriend go straight to their room. No getting a glass of water. Don't have breakfast with family etc?

Scenario B? OP and her family say come and have a cup of tea with us and a chat because we haven't seen you for ages but other kids not in room? Or daughter goes down to see parents leaving boyfriend in room. Or they have breakfast with wee sister?

How likely is it that none of these things happen? And how does this mingling differ from 2 different groups of 6 in a house having a piss up and mingling but always being only 6 at a time? Genuinely interested in your take?