Does social distancing apply to partners who don't live with you?

[Spritesobright]

Just a question. My partner and I usually see each other 2-3 times a week and sleep over at each other's houses. I am a single parent of 2 school age DC. The eldest had a very light cough last week that went away over the weekend and now her sister has it. So I've taken them both out of school to be on the safe side. The school replied that since one had a cough they have to be off for 2 weeks.
DP and I both have the same cough (sore throat, very occasional light cough) which we obviously got from my DC. There is no fever and otherwise feel fine.
DP is wfh at the moment and so am I so we thought it would be fine if he still came over during the week. But now he thinks that because I'm in 'self-isolation' he shouldn't...
Neither of us is over 70, we are both healthy otherwise. What do people think? And what are you doing?

I don't see why he wouldn't come over if you all have the same symptoms.

I will still being seeing my DP, unless he is unwell. My mum is unwell in hospital so I can’t take any risks at the moment!

My long-term partner doesn't live with my teenagers and me. He and I are still seeing one another every day. We all have slight colds. He is in a 'risky' category, but we have to just get on with it. No sleepovers, though , as the DC's father is in self-isolation so they are currently with me all the time. We are having to have quick shags during the day instead.

If you all have same symptoms then u isolate togther ?! I'm still having mine this weekend but none of us have any symptoms right now x

Right, that's what I thought. If we have the same symptoms and saw each other all weekend then what's the point in distancing now? The prospect of being alone with my kids for months on end with no adult to converse with is frankly terrifying...

Glitterb really sorry to hear about your mum. Hopefully the hospitals aren't too overwhelmed yet so she is getting the care she needs.

dollface19 I love the idea of isolating together. Why not? The DC adore him and frankly, I could do with some help.

I really don't think we have it as it's super mild (still) but who knows? And if one of us gets sick it would be nice to be able to take care of each other (and I'll send my kids off to their Dad's).

But if you are in self isolation, as you should be, for 14 days with one member of the household displaying symptoms, of course he shouldn’t be travelling to your house and back? Otherwise he risks infecting other people on his way back home. Or have I misunderstood?

Agree with @edwinbear, he shouldn't be travelling to and fro. In and stay put for 2 weeks or stay away and stay put on his own for two weeks.

So much hysteria here. I walk or cycle to my DP's house, and he walks or cycles to mine. Barring some string of freak misfortunes (one of us gets run over/falls off our bike and has to be tended to by someone else - whereupon it turns out that we were carriers of Corona, despite having no symptoms of said illness), I really don't think we're a social risk.

You shouldn't be moving from one household to another if you have symptoms. Do you not get what isolation means?
I guess if you both have a driveway and can guarantee you won't pass anyone else between houses and cars then maybe...but is that actually the case?

You refer to 'social distancing' then say you have symptoms. You should be isolating, not distancing.

My partner and I, who I do not live with have decided we shouldn't see eachother this weekend being that we both have children, albeit older teens/ young adults at home. We normally see each other at weekends due to distance. It's a small price to pay to ensure everyone's health or at least not compromise it any further than necessary.

You're both supposed to be isolating. That means you stay inside your house for 14 days and he stays inside his house for 14 days.

It doesn't mean go to the shops, pub, have visitors.
It means stay inside your house.

Both of you going out can spread whatever you have to other people, not just each other.

It's about infecting other people.

Have you all been keeping up with washing your hands throughout the day, disinfecting bench tops, doorknobs, handles, etc?

The website says "new, continuous cough" or "fever" neither of which I have. But nonetheless I am isolating in the sense of not seeing other people except my kids, who are off school.
As I said, DP wfh so is not going out and he would be driving here and back, so no contact with other people.
Rantyanty your post is condescending and ridiculous. Of course I am wiping handles, washing hands etc. and nowhere did I mention pubs or any other social visits.
I asked a cautionary question. I don't a patronising lecture in response.

Yes, social distancing applies to everything, all 'non essential contact.' Contact IRL with our partners is largely non-essential for healthy people.

I'm still seeing my ex (now bestie) though. Which is a bit naughty but there you go.

Ive been wondering this. DP and I dont live together and I drive from mine to his and then home again. I have no symptoms, have no issues and the kids are all still in school, he has no symptoms either. So yes, social distancing, in that I dont want to catch it from someone else, but I think we will still be ok to see each other.

If there is lockdown however......... :(

You took it as patronising but for some it clearly needs to be spelled out in black and white due to the excuses people make for this exception or that exception.

the school told you the kids need to be off for 2 weeks. You all have the same symptoms. Just stay in and stop trying to make excuses. Be offended all you want.

If he can guarantee 100% he won’t be in contact with another living soul for 14 days then I’d let him visit. In reality though, after the 14 days is he then going to be around people again? In which case I’d stop him coming over.

Don't risk it.

What possible contagion can they spread by driving to each others’ houses? They aren’t proposing going out to the cinema and snogging each others’ faces off! OP, I would use your judgement here. I can’t see any difference at all between you all living together, or you and him driving to each others’ houses at times.....
Interestingly (solely to me - to nobody else in the whole world), dd’s dad has just told me his girlfriend is self-isolating with her family. He is making out he won’t see her during this period..... But I have asked him what he will do if we all go into lock-down? He doesn’t live with her, but I assume would still want to see her?
My boyfriend lives with me. So all well there........

I asked something similar under another thread about separated families. in my position I think I will need to stop seeing my bf whilst this is all going on. It’s something I’m going to really struggle with. If it’s lock down then he will choose either to have his children visit or to lock down at mine. Obviously his children are his first priority but I will miss him and his children so much and will really struggle with not seeing them

You need to stay at your respective homes.

unless he makes a habit of licking the door handles on his way to his car, I dont see the issue in seeing each other if you're both self-isolating when not together.

I happy to self isolate together. The issue is the movement of the children between all the home. Mine to my ex’s and my bfs children from his to his ex’s. He’s staying at mine tonight and tomorrow with his children then over the weekend just me and home whilst children at other parents so will have a discussion then about what we’re planning on doing.

Travelling to each others houses by car and going straight into each others homes is not going to spread the virus for goodness sake. Just make sure there's no one walking past to cough all over. No issue.