Couples living apart

[booboo24]

I am currently in Tier 1 but just wondered what the restrictions were in Tiers 2 and 3 for couples living apart now that we no longer have to socially distance - are we exempt from the household mixing ban in the same way support bubbles are? Pretty sure we aren't but was hoping I'd missed something!

No, not exempt, but if you or your partner are a single person household you could form a support bubble.

and if you're not...I hope you enjoyed those three weeks of being able to see your partner at close range. I wonder how many people who live in 2+ households and not with their partner are going to adhere to this...

We adhered throughout the whole of the lockdown period, but when they relaxed things we started seeing each other again. We've been together 5 years, engaged, see each other every weekend and 1 night i
the week, however I have an 18 year old, he works full time but also has his mum living with him as she has Dementia. He needs the outside contact as she is really quite bad now, but that means he isn't technically a single household. We will however not adhere to this for the next 6 months, he will have gone mad before then! Like I said we are a Tier 1 but for how long who knows

I think people in his situation should be counted as a single adult household. Boris keeps talking about "common sense" and I would apply that reasoning to this situation.

Just form an unofficial bubble with him. As long as you stick to social distancing for everyone else then just do it. How can couples stay apart for that long, that not fair or reasonable to expect it.

From the Gov page:

You do not need to socially distance from anyone in your household, meaning the people you live with. You also do not need to socially distance from someone you’re in an established relationship with, or anyone in your legally-permitted support bubble if you are in one

So you don't need to distance from a partner. DD told me this, I rather think there'll be lots of new relationships/casual flings becoming 'established' quickly!!

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing

Thanks, that's what we have been doing but when things tighten up I wasn't sure where we would stand. Common sense will hopefully prevail though!

@cathyandclare Thankyou, that's actually the wording I was querying as in the list of exemptions it doesn't mention established relationships but you could easily interpret it that way - I certainly did at first. I wonder if they have just slipped it in there to cover those situations without advertising it to stop people taking advantage of it.