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

Imagine the bf actually has Covid. Now do you want him to stay in your already quite large household? Do a rough headcount if all the people you and your household will meet in the week after and imagine they all get it. Imagine 20% of those people are ill enough to be hospitalised and a percentage of those doe or are damaged for the rest of their lives. Do you want to be the one who didn’t stop that? Because in this scenario the bf could just have it asymptomatically and everyone could trot on wingeing gently about everything if you abide by the rules.

No. So the BF will have to be elsewhere.

‘Even twins’ - yes amazingly enough twins are two full human individuals in their own right not half a person each

If you go into settings you can select for ironic or light-hearted posts like to be highlighted- which would avoid the embarrassment of posting things like that.

Thanks @cheshire and others who've posted helpful information on this thread. To clarify to others - no I am not trying to bend the rules, or break them, or do anything that is higher risk than sensible. It's just that the rules don't in fact seem to say "you must not have 7 people in your house unless you all love together" They talk about peoplegathering together for a purpose/interaction. I've already told DD that her BF cannot join us for dinner, and am not inviting DS round for dinner either this weekend because yes I can count and that would mean 7 people gathering so is not allowed.

And yes DD is not legally obliged to distance from a BF she's in an established relationship with (more than a year in this case)

If u think about it everybody will be using the toilet and bathroom.

@Firefliess

Thanks *@cheshire and others who've posted helpful information on this thread. To clarify to others - no I am not trying to bend the rules, or break them, or do anything that is higher risk than sensible. It's just that the rules don't in fact seem to say "you must not have 7 people in your house unless you all love together" They talk about peoplegathering* together for a purpose/interaction. I've already told DD that her BF cannot join us for dinner, and am not inviting DS round for dinner either this weekend because yes I can count and that would mean 7 people gathering so is not allowed.

And yes DD is not legally obliged to distance from a BF she's in an established relationship with (more than a year in this case)

They dont live together so should maintain distancing.

From the govt website "You should continue to maintain social distancing with anyone you do not live with. "

Covid doesnt care how long they've been together.

What I love most about this thread are all the posters splitting legal hairs going “well, technically - it gives me the hilarious image of the OP standing up in court ardently defending her DD’s sex schedule...

Next time tell DSD and DD they need to be more organised and set up some sort of rota.

NO the rules say 6
Not 7 cos one can be asleep or in the shed. It’s 6 just 6

And yes DD is not legally obliged to distance from a BF she's in an established relationship with (more than a year in this case)

She is legally obliged to socially distance if she doesn't live with him though!

No bathroom sharing - DD has the loft conversion with an ensuite.

Wow. Just wow. Several people have pointed to where the rules says ‘no more than 6’ so not sure why you can’t acknowledge that. Reinterpretation of the word ‘gathering’ to suit your purpose in any going to change things. You will be breaking the rules but that is your choice. You can’t bed them or make them up but you can chose to ignore them. Sadly if everyone does this we are no closer to solving, or at least ameliorating the problem. It will just carry on getting worse.

*isnt going to change

@spinningaround72 you're wrong

You would be breaking the LAW!

I have a colleague who is now facing our regulatory body and could lose his job - one he has trained for 7 years for as a result of having 7 people in his house for dinner. Yes his neighbours snitched on him - but very he broke the LAW! Now he has compromised his life.

@Bluesheep8

And yes DD is not legally obliged to distance from a BF she's in an established relationship with (more than a year in this case)

She is legally obliged to socially distance if she doesn't live with him though!

The rules changed as part of the latest guidance and the OP is correct, they don't need to social distance.

Having read the guidance if you are part of either of your step children's support bubble I think it would be allowed.

Oh gawd - if you won’t even see the guy who cares! It’s not like your having a massive party! Use your own judgment - I wouldn’t be wasting time trying to understand the legislation!

Once your not taking the pis / mixing in a. If group I don’t get the issue.

Rule of SIX. There are no exceptions in England. End of.

You could have 7 if 7 people live there permanently. Eg you are a couple with 5 kids, you don't have to chuck one out, but otherwise there shouldn't be more than 6 people in your house. Kids count as Boris has said "they spread at the same rate as adults"

My reading of the rules are that you can’t meet. If 3 family members remain upstairs and do not meet they don’t add in to your 6 they are not at the meeting

Remember the special exceptions for step children however on an official visit to the other parent when counting numbers. "for the purposes of arrangements for access to, and contactbetween, parents and children where the children do not live in thesame household as their parents or one of their parents,”

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/986/made/data.pdf

So boris J could have his lover and his baby in the house but could also have all his various children however many there are into the house I believe as long as they were under 18.

Here is a problem. When in late October the govt announces draconian restrictions because cases/deaths have increased alarmingly and the reason they give is that people were not socially distancing. ...what are you going to say when people ask how this came to pass?

@Heyahun

Oh gawd - if you won’t even see the guy who cares! It’s not like your having a massive party! Use your own judgment - I wouldn’t be wasting time trying to understand the legislation!

Once your not taking the pis / mixing in a. If group I don’t get the issue.

I wouldn't be wasting time trying to understand the legislation

What, you mean the law? Presumably you know to buckle up your seatbelt while driving, that you can't murder your husband when he's annoying you? Why is this law so hard to understand???

And presumably they'll see him when he gets up in the morning, when he comes downstairs? He'll have used the bathroom unless they make him pee in the garden and touched door handles etc.

If everyone has your attitude of fuck it, do what you want, this bloody virus is never going to come under control enough for us to resume a more normal life.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4026424-Is-this-allowed-under-group-of-6

OP read this thread as well - much more detailed discussion of the actual law on that one.