Meeting family without social distancing?

[Broceliande]

I know that nobody has a crystal ball but I've been getting incredibly anxious about this, as I keep seeing news stories about families being "reunited" when what that actually means is being able to meet in a private garden, presumably with social distancing in place. I haven't seen anything about when normal contact, ie indoors, overnight stays, hugs etc with family and close friends will return and have been starting to feel that this is an ominous sign that it is a long, long way off.

Is there something I have missed? I'm feeling very low about probably not seeing my mum (who lives abroad) for another year and the thought of that distance extending to the rest of my family beyond Easter is just too much at the moment

Something was mentioned about autumn for this recently. No idea how true it is though.

There's not really anyone policing it (unless you have a rowdy party) so to be quite honest you can see family. Family abroad is another matter though and very difficult to know when.

I'm in the same boat as you re my mum, OP, and overseas travel is obviously going to be a problem. However, you do know you can meet your UK family indoors anyway? Honestly, nobody is going to check or care, despite all the stories of snitching on here.

Bloody hell just give them a hug when you see them. Government 'rules' will not stop me hugging my parents when I finally go to their house. Nobody will ever know. Christ.

Why are you in a rush to risk exchanging a deadly virus with your friends and family and delaying being able to travel to see your mum because while people are hugging other people and staying in their homes, it delays the reduction in the stress on the NHS and deaths.

I mean, all you're really reading at the moment are incomplete leaks or speculation. Nothing official has properly been put out yet.

@Racoonworld

Something was mentioned about autumn for this recently. No idea how true it is though.

Oh yeah, I'm sure compliance will still be super high come Autumn. 🙄

Please don’t wait for permission to hug your family! If they are abroad I get that you can’t just go at the moment but if they are in this country and you are able to weigh up the risks and what you are all comfortable with just see them.

We do not have an unlimited amount of time, I would never forgive myself if I didn’t see my family for 2 years then something happened to one of them. And before anyone says “don’t you care if you give them covid” I can only give them covid if I have covid we have to stop pretending we are all sick and stop the fear of death preventing us from living our lives.

Social distancing as in staying 2m apart is guidance not law. I’ve never done this with family when I’ve met them indoors in the periods when it’s been allowed.

I read something about indoor mixing being allowed in June but think it’s unlikely that most people are going to wait that long particularly after being vaccinated. If we do that my baby won’t have been able to legally see one set of grandparents for 9 months even though they were vaccinated a couple of weeks ago.

Having family abroad at the moment must be tough though as also depends on the laws of their country.

Has anyone been out for a walk in the real world? No-one is SD! Even those meeting up for actual excerise aren’t SD, they run or walk side by side. I’ve seen hundreds of families out walking this half term, some with grandparents, some with friends. Everyone walking side by side. The only SD I see is people moving out the way of strangers walking past, that does happen. But no way anyone is ever 2m..

Outdoors is fine, people need to stop loosing their shit over it.

Sorry your family is abroad OP, that must be super tough. Fingers crossed it looks like foreign holidays may be ago in August & you can get out to see them. It’s not law you can’t hug anyone or must SD so make a judgement call when you get there!

Totally agree @MoirasRoses that paths just aren't wide enough for people to walk 2m apart and if people do spread themselves out well then people overtaking or going the other way have to walk / run between them!

Social distancing has never been law and you can make your own judgement about it. Personally once dps have had both vaccinations (April) I will be hugging them and once I have had both vaccinations(May) I will hug anyone I want to!

The reason why this is the lowest priority for the government is that there’s no economic benefit to families mixing indoors.

But for those of us with family far away they are asking too much. We can’t go for a walk or sit in the park if they’re hundred of miles away.

If family has been vaccinated I.e elderly parents then the fear of spreading it to them and it causing serious illness is gone. I think they are going to struggle to get people to comply with stopping us from seeing our family for any length of time going forward.

Especially those of us with elderly parents. Every year matters and we could lose them at any time. Are we really going to look back and be pleased we didn’t see our vaccinated parents and kept grand children away for them? If anything happens to them?

In the real world people aren't social distancing from family and are meeting up. Hug them if you both agree but keep your circle of hugs small - perhaps limit it to those closest and who've been vaccinated?

The overseas travel issue is different and I'm sorry to hear that you couldn't see family last year.

Social distancing is guidance. It isn't and never has been law. At the moment it is only legal to meet one person outdoors, it is advised to social distance, but nobody can actually stop you from giving them a hug. The "stay local" advice is also just advice, not law.