Rule of 6 in gardens

[cheesybeans1234]

When the rule of 6 comes in for private gardens does it count number of people on the property or number of people gathering in the garden?
If family are home but staying inside can you have 5 friends to sit in the garden?
No contact between garden guests and rest of household but taking over 6 house total count. I don't think there's a definitive answer but in interested in opinions.

I think that would be ok. I'd do it. As long as no mixing of groups.

In my view absolutely you can have 5 friends in the garden assuming the other people in the house have no intention of joining you outside.

Well it’s DD’s birthday next week and she is having 5 friends over for a party in the garden. DH, DS and myself will be in the house. She wasn’t able to do anything for her birthday last year so I’ll be damned if I’m going to limit the number of friends she can have to 2 to cater for the 3 of us within the number.

I would say six in total at the private dwelling. It doesn’t say people not outside are excluded.

I have always just counted the people in the garden. Otherwise with a family of 5 I would only be able to have one person round even though the teenagers have absolutely no intention of emerging from their bedrooms let alone joining my gaggle of middle aged ladies knitting in well spaced deckchairs in the garden.

It would be taking the piss to have, say, 6 people indoors by the open French windows chatting to another 6 outdoors.

Not sure which is correct, but I'd say if the people in the garden aren't coming in the house to use the toilets, so there's no chance of bumping into anyone inside, it'll be fine.

Who gives a fuck? Honestly, be sensible keep non householders outside and get on white whatever you want to do. I’m over the detail on the rules, much of it makes little difference in many scenarios.

It seems to be open to interpretation.
I had been planning to have friends over to sit in the garden which would take the house over 6 although people inside wouldn't have any interaction with those outside. Is there actual guidance?

We’re going with 5 in the garden to cover the possibility that one of the house residents may stray outside occasionally

I thought it meant 6 in total , or 2 families .

That's not quite right, under new rules you can have two (and only two) households together even if the number of people in those two combined exceeds 6

The thing is common sense should prevail . Every family has a different dynamic . Even if your family have had vaccine you can still spread or catch it and mixing households is highest risk

As I know quite a young family whose father has just been told he may not survive covid , personally we are going to continue to take care . Plus we have a family member due to go into hospital so feel protective of them still .

I think if people think sensibly ,rather than sod the rules , then the next few weeks could be interesting.

I am glad we are coming out more slowly this time .

@holyhead

When you have a colleague in their early 20s seriously ill in hospital then perhaps you might care .

It’s not gone away .

I wouldn’t count people in the house

Make your own judgement OP.

The law is drafted in terms of restricting numbers in gatherings. A gathering is defined as follows:

(g)a gathering takes place when two or more persons are present together in the same place in order—

(i)to engage in any form of social interaction with each other, or

(ii)to undertake any other activity with each other;

So if you had six people in the garden and one person inside the house who had zero interaction with the people in the garden, that would be compliant with the law in England from Monday.

So in your scenario, OP, if there is no interaction of any kind between the people in the house and the people in the garden, I think it's clear that that's allowed from Monday.

Could someone please tell me what happens if a garden guest needs to use the loo?
Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.

@LilyPond2

The law is drafted in terms of restricting numbers in gatherings. A gathering is defined as follows:

(g)a gathering takes place when two or more persons are present together in the same place in order—

(i)to engage in any form of social interaction with each other, or

(ii)to undertake any other activity with each other;

So if you had six people in the garden and one person inside the house who had zero interaction with the people in the garden, that would be compliant with the law in England from Monday.

This is what I think too

Oh my.

@Spied

Could someone please tell me what happens if a garden guest needs to use the loo? Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.

Well they are not supposed to go into the house, this is a problem!

I thought it had been clarified that they are allowed to go through the house to reach the garden and to use the loo.

@Spied

Could someone please tell me what happens if a garden guest needs to use the loo? Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.

I've no idea what the law/guidance is but why on earth wouldn't you just let them use the loo?

Perhaps you put tentage round the compact heap

Isn't using a terribly good accelerator?

I believe they did state in questions that they can access house through garden and use toilet . How that then effects numbers in total is a different question and will likely come to judgement