Tier 2, can we have visitors to the garden if the only access is through the house?

[safariboot]

Or would going through the house be considered unlawful indoor mixing?

Thinking of Bonfire Night. Though it will probably be moot anyway because I expect my area will be bumped to T3 before then.

I would say no if they will touch door handles etc to get through the house

@EatPrayYoga

I would say no if they will touch door handles etc to get through the house

ARRRRGHH!

They could just sanitise their hands first.

Why can't ppl just problem solve and think for themselves?

anniegun very true! It was a department of health spokesperson I think but agree they equally have been wrong!

I haven’t checked the wording of the law/guidance but it does seem ridiculous. I guess it might be because people might use it as a loophole and hang about in the house but this seems a fairly small risk for the benefit.

For example my elderly mother is very anxious and a strict rule follower. She has only seen her friends in her garden since March - but you can only access that garden via the house.

Sorry but this is all utterly ridiculous.

Why wouldn’t it be ‘safe’ to walk though a house? Unless they are licking the walls and all the surfaces as they pass and leaving a trail of diarrhoea behind them, I’m sure it will be fine.

I do like the clambering over the roof idea though. You could make it like the krypton factor.

Why wouldn’t it be ‘safe’ to walk though a house? Unless they are licking the walls and all the surfaces as they pass and leaving a trail of diarrhoea behind them, I’m sure it will be fine.*

Back in May/June when you were first allowed to meet people in private gardens they said you could go through the house if that was the only access.

They also said you could use bathroom just to clean after espcially touch points.

So there is absolutely no problem I hope it can still go ahead and you enjoy yourself.

Shocked by some of these comments applying we shouldn't see anyone. Humans need social contact.

Please be mindful of people's mental health...

Of course they can, there is nothing against the law about being inside someone's house, the offence is meeting people indoors, so long as you are not in the house at the same time, the law is met.

This was answered on BBc yesterday and apparently the government spokesperson said the answer was no

Then they forgot to write it into the law, which is what matters. Gross incompetence.

I’m in greater Manchester, if we stay in tier 2 I’d be happy for people to walk through my house...it’s under ten seconds! Also use the downstairs toilet too. I have hand wash and cleaning products if needed.

I can meet them in a beer garden on a small table and use the pub toilets that loads of other strangers have used. But they can’t use my clean bathroom?

This was answered on BBc yesterday and apparently the government spokesperson said the answer was no. Which is a bit odd as presumably not that many people have front gardens/access to back not via the house? It was the reason given for not allowing garden mixing during the lockdown, that many people would need to go through the house to access the garden.

I'd have though it was a bit more than "not many" having direct access - all detached houses and semis, together with many terraced via a back alley. But I'm basing that on where I live in a small town, so quite happy to believe I'm wrong.

I thought tier 2 meant you can’t see other households at all. Even in gardens. I haven’t seen my son for three months because of this! Am I wrong? You're right. I live in a previously restricted area which then moved into tier 2 - and tier 2 suddenly meant I could meet people in the garden when previously I couldn't.

Sorry but that bin comment is ridiculous! No, not ridiculous. She wasn't saying "bins on drive = can't access back garden", she was saying "no bins at front = likely to be able to access back without going through house". Since you have bins at the front, your case doesn't either prove or disprove her thesis, it's just irrelevant.

It was the reason given for not allowing garden mixing during the lockdown, that many people would need to go through the house to access the garden.

But surely nobody thinks that letting someone walk through their hallway/house for 10 seconds to get to the back garden is a risk?!