Coronavirus: Will Boris Johnson ban households from mixing in England?

Boris Johnson has announced further restrictions in England in an attempt to curb the growing spread of coronavirus.

On Tuesday 22 September, the prime minister made a televised address to the nation in which he outlined a raft of new rules, including asking office staff to once again work from home, implementing a 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants and reducing the number of people who can attend weddings from 30 to 15.

These are on top of restrictions already in place across the country, with some areas having stricter rules than others due to local lockdowns.

During his speech, the prime minister stated that the measures may be in place for six months, adding that while he was “deeply, spiritually reluctant” to infringe on people's freedoms, there would be a need for harsher regulations later “when the deaths have already mounted” unless action was taken now.

Despite the new restrictions, some experts have warned that the changes do not go far enough and have called for England to follow the devolved nations by introducing a ban on households mixing.

So, what are the rules on socialising in England at the moment and why might they change? Here is everything you need to know.

What are the current rules for socialising in England?

As of Monday 14 September, the number of people allowed to legally socialise was reduced from 30 to six in England.

The new rule applied to both indoor and outdoor gatherings and to people of all ages, meaning that people can no longer socialise in homes, parks, pubs, and restaurants in groups of more than six.

Previously, up to 30 people from two households were permitted to meet socially, or six from various households.

Mr Johnson told a press conference on 9 September: “We need to act now to stop the virus spreading. So we are simplifying and strengthening the rules on social contact – making them easier to understand and for the police to enforce.

“It is absolutely critical that people now abide by these rules and remember the basics – washing your hands, covering your face, keeping space from others, and getting a test if you have symptoms.”

Anyone caught socialising in groups larger than six in England will be fined. On 22 September, the prime minister announced that the fine for a first offence would be doubled to £200.

There are several forms of meetings that do not have to follow the rule of six in England, including schools and workplaces.

Why might the rules change?

The tightening of restrictions on 22 September came after the chief medical officers of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland raised the alert level for Covid-19 from three to four, meaning transmission of the virus is “high or rising exponentially”.

On Monday, England's Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, and Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, laid the groundwork for the new rules when they shared their concerns over the spread of coronavirus in the UK during a press briefing.

Sir Vallance stated that if current trends continue into autumn, then by mid-October, England could face around 50,000 new cases every day.

While the new restrictions have been implemented to help curb the spread of Covid-19, some experts have said the rules need to go further, including SAGE member Professor John Edmunds who warned that more “stringent” measures will have to be put in place across the whole of the UK in the coming months.

Professor Edmunds, who is the head of Epidemiology and Population Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told Radio 4: “I don't think the measures have gone anywhere near far enough. We have to put stringent measures in place, and as fast as possible.

“I suspect we will see very stringent measures coming into place throughout the UK again at some point. But it will be too late again.

“We will have let the epidemic double and double and double again until we do take those measures. We didn't react quick enough in March, we haven't learned enough... and we are about to repeat it.”

Have the devolved nations banned households from mixing?

On Monday, chief medical officers from all four devolved administrations met to decide on what measures needed to be enforced to combat the UK’s surge in cases.

While announcing his package of restrictions on Tuesday, the prime minister insisted that he was trying to strike a “delicate balance” between saving lives and protecting the economy.

However, not everyone agreed with the changes, with some ministers arguing that the latest measures might not be enough to tackle the rising R number.

Scotland

On Tuesday, Nicola Sturgeon announced a new ban on households mixing across Scotland.

In a statement, the first minister said Scotland would align with England on its plans but added that they would not be sufficient to bring down the R rate of Covid-19 transmissions.

Ms Sturgeon said data suggested banning households from mixing had reduced the spread of the virus in the west of Scotland and that extending it to the rest of the country will hopefully reduce transmission. Certain exemptions apply, however, including couples not living together, tradespeople, and those who need childcare.

“Difficult though it is, any serious effort to reduce the R number below one must take account of this key driver of transmission and seek to break it,” she said.

“So after careful consideration, we have decided that from tomorrow, to be reviewed after three weeks and with exceptions that I will come on to, visiting other households will not be permitted.”

Northern Ireland

Tougher coronavirus restrictions have also been extended to Northern Ireland.

From 22 September, different households are not allowed to mix indoors, except for single-person household bubbles and certain other exemptions, including childcare, supported living arrangements, visits for legal or medical reasons, or marriage or civil partnerships where one partner is terminally ill.

Similarly, no more than six people from two households can meet in private gardens.

The ban on mixing indoors initially applied to some areas including greater Belfast, Ballymena and parts of County Armagh, but has now been extended nationwide.

First Minister Arlene Foster reassured the public the measures were not a return to lockdown.

“Doing nothing was not an option but neither is returning to full lockdown,” she said.

“These are limited restrictions which I hope by taking action at this early stage means we can prevent the need for more draconian measures.”

Wales

In Wales, there is currently no ban on households mixing. The general rule is that people can meet socially with others who are in their exclusive extended household group (bubble) indoors.

From 14 September, meetings or gatherings indoors within extended households in Wales were limited to six people at any one time (not including any children aged under 11). This also applies in places like pubs and restaurants as well as in people’s homes.

Extended households (also known as bubbles) were designed to allow friends and families to reunite and to support caring arrangements, particularly working parents with informal childcare, as more businesses reopen, and other caring arrangements.

Since 22 August, people living in Wales have been able to form an exclusive extended household with up to three other households.

Because a household can vary in size, there is no limit on the number of people who can be in an extended household. But only four households can form part of the extended household, and only six people from within the extended household can meet up at any one time.

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