Is it ok to meet with boyfriend who I don't live with and go on a socially distant walk?

[Shineonyou]

I haven't seen him in weeks. Thought about meeting and going for a walk in the very nearby countryside where we can walk at least two metres away from each other for exercise and a chat.

Is this allowed?

@amber763 its not bending the guidance point 13 is about parks and it clearly says no more than 2 unless same household

@thebridgelooksbroken I’m not a “bossy pants” thank you.

Merely just explaining to OP what the rules are.

YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO MEET PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LIVE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD.

Could it be anymore clearer?

Yes it could. Because the legislation says that no more than 2 people can be out together, unless they are in the same household. This would mean that you can in fact do what the op is proposing. SO THERE'S NO NEED TO SHOUT.

But it's okay for a child to see both parents who don't live together

@fourpeasinapod yes you can within the rules outside look at guidance point 13 about in a park

You can’t.

The rules say you can’t meet people who don’t live with you.

FFS

It's a NO from me!!!

I really can't see why it's so confusing. The idiots that are saying 'do it' have zero consideration for the NHS staff that are working tirelessly trying to save people's lives.

To STOP THE SPREAD only go out if really necessary, meeting your fella isn't a necessity. I've seen NO ONE in weeks and weeks, I started social isolating before we were made to, so would it be okay for me to arrange to meet my family, friends, fiancé? NO! And I wouldn't because I'm not selfish. FaceTime/Text/Call... Mixing households is not allowed.

For those who are meeting with people from other households and walking thinking it's okay, shame on you.

@LudaMusser of course a child can see both their parents . So you expect one parent not to see their own child for months. It's a bit different to two adults .

The rules are not clear but 'Unless you are with members of your household, gatherings of more than two people in parks and other public spaces have been banned' you are two people gathering in a park or public space which is not banned according to those FAQs.

yes you can within the rules outside look at guidance point 13 about in a park

You can still go to the park for outdoor exercise once a day but only alone or with members of your household, not in groups.

It doesn’t not say “Yes you can meet up with one other person as long as you stay 2m away.”

The whole point of 2m distance is when HAVE TO come near to someone you maintain a barrier for that brief time. Looking for a loophole like “well if I stay 2m away it’s fine” because they just won’t happen for the entire hour or 2 you’re together unless you’re walking with a physical 2m wide pole in between you. Narrow paths, avoiding other people, generally misjudging width. It’s all easily done. The stricter people adhere to these guidelines the quicker social distancing measures will be loosened.

@Quartz2208 Ummmm no it doesn't say that at all!

Haven’t read the whole thread so excuse me if I’m repeating other people. The key thing is no non-essential movement or contact, and I’m sorry, this falls under both categories. You never know when, for example, your car might break down or you might have a medical emergency out of area, just as examples. I’m a frontline NHS worker with a vulnerable husband, but that shouldn’t even matter. No.

Apologies @Quartz2208 Just reread and it does day the two people thing however it's pretty clear not to be meeting with friends or those outside your household. Anyway I guess people will do what they're gonna do and read it how they will.

I'm sure it would be fine op.

well the official guidelines also state that you can "move into a friends house for a few days to 'cool off' after an argument at home" so just have a fight with someone you live with and then go stay with your boyfriend

I just can't bring myself to get upset about this stuff when loads of people who aren't keyworkers are still working and not social distancing.

My friend is a police officer and they cover a huge area in a van with 9 other people. Instead of splitting the area into 5 and having 2 officers on each beat, they drive around in a large group of 10.

A relative works in a government owned building, it's closed to the public but all the staff are in just walking around aimlessly. Not allowed to work from home or go onto furlough. This is a gov owned building.

The supermarket queues can take an hour.

They're opening up B&Q etc.

The government still need the virus to spread to some degree. If they didn't then they'd stop all of the things mentioned above. It needs to spread so we become immune. There really isn't another way through this until a vaccine 🤷🏻‍♀️

Common sense has gone out the window.

I'd go and see your BF op, just keep 2m distance and wash your hands.

Why do people think 2m is magic? There’s been some doubt over how far the virus can travel, and nobody knows if 2m is enough. As PPs have said, 2m is a guide intended for casual unplanned encounters with others not of your household. It’s intended to lower the risk of essential trips out for grocery shopping or exercise. When I’m out walking the dog I try my best to ensure I’m 2m away from anyone who might be coming the other way. It’s not a guarantee but it does lower the risk.

If you’re planning to meet someone though you’ll be breathing the same air as them, albeit 2m apart (might or might not be enough) for an extended period of time. You’re also likely unthinkingly to move closer together, for narrow paths, to get through gates, etc. It’s a whole different ball game.

I think it’s fascinating how difficult public health messages are to get across (I used to work in the area). Things done to mitigate risk end up being heard as ‘do X and you’ll be completely safe’. It’s why lite cigarettes were so dangerous. People thought they were safer than the full strength ones and so smoked more. It’s the same principle here. 2m distancing doesn’t make you safe. It probably reduces the risk in unavoidable encounters. It isn’t an excuse to meet up with people not of your household. In some ways it’d be better if the government hadn’t talked about 2m distancing at all, to make the message clearer, but I suppose on balance it was worth it for people’s behaviour in grocery stores, etc.

I'm one of the single people, living completely alone, and haven't met any friends or family for the last 4 weeks. My daughter lives a 10 minute walk from me. We are abiding by the rules. I think it would be completely different to meet up with a friend/family member than it is passing another person exercising. The contact there is minimal.

I am finding it very difficult at times, not just the lack of contact with her, but with my son, grandchildren, and mother and rest of family who are too far away for me to travel to. Mother's health is not good, but I am still following the rules. If everyone decided to go and do their own thing, then it is just asking for trouble. I think some people need to look up the word 'integrity'.

If you’re planning to meet someone though you’ll be breathing the same air as them, albeit 2m apart

you are not "breathing the same air" as someone two metres away when you're out in the fresh air, you're just not. Your breath is diluted by millions of particles when it leaves your body. Different situation if you're actively sneezing or coughing because of the force with which it comes out (and I wouldn't be even leaving the house if I was doing that)

@Namechangegain I don’t see anything wrong in seeing a partner with whom you don’t live if you’ve both been effectively alone and self isolating: absolutely minimal risk. It might be against the law but it’s pretty harmless in my book.

I'd do it as long as you do really keep your distance

Agree with Mascotte.. We aren't trying to isolate this virus into extinction. We expect and actually need a certain % of the population to have it so that the vaccine trials can work. The professor in charge of the vaccine development said yesterday that the human trials will actually be made more difficult because so many people have so obediently followed the SD rules so the test subjects won't easily pick up CV. In this instance, no vulnerable adults involved, the two people are not mixing with lots of others such as key workers so minimal risk and they are not in fact breaking the law.

@amber763 I admit I don’t get it either but and never have why they included it but they have when I read it I thought it odd. I think it must be the safest way to ensure people can have some contact without spreading it

@JohnFinlaysNewTeeth it’s further down.

As a PP said the legislation is the same gatherings of more than 2 have strict examples funerals etc but 2 doesn’t so anyone can gather in a PUBLIC place with one other person not from their household

Whether they meant it (as I said to enable some people living alone to have contact) or they didn’t mean it when they drafted it who knows. Or they realised policing 2 people on whether they lived together was too hard

But it is there

‘Do not meet others, even friends or family’

‘Gatherings of two or more are banned, unless you’re from the same household’

It’s confusing to me!

Of course it is okay. Lots of people on here will tell you it is not

I'm meeting a friend for a walk and keeping the distance, just like I am going to work for 8 hours a day and keeping my distance with them.