Home alone, can’t join bubble

When plans for a nationwide lock down were announced, Cam* began making plans.

A single man, whose job was on hold, the 39-year-old didn’t want to spend four weeks alone.

So along with two friends, Amy Bennetts, 27, and Eva Weber, 37, they created their own bubble, made up of two households.

During the day, Cam visited their home in Nelson, close to his own, and then travelled back to his own house to sleep. They kept contact strictly between the trio and followed all lockdown rules.

The group believed they were following Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s ‘‘buddy system’’ laid out in her March 24 press conference.

Their plan also appeared to be in line with a Ministry of Health graphic showing ‘‘two households, one bubble’’.

But on Saturday a neighbour called the police – and their bubble was burst. And now their confusion has led officials to update ministry guidelines. ‘‘It was one bubble,’’ Bennetts said. ‘‘There was no chain of people – we would only see him, he would only see us. For people living totally alone it would be very difficult for them to not see another soul.

‘‘The police said he would have to live here but there is nowhere for him to sleep. The risks were the same whether he was sleeping here or not. We are 100 per cent behind the rules and taking it seriously, but this is too extreme.’’

Cam returned home, where he has remained. Calls to police, the Covid-19 advice line and searching government websites didn’t provide any clear answers. ‘‘I rang the Covid line and they said two single people who live in two households can be in a bubble. But that depends on your having another single friend who lives alone.’’

Stuff has been asking for clarity on the rules. Questions put to police were directed to the Covid19 response team.

On Wednesday, the team replied: ‘‘Don’t invite or allow social visitors, such as friends, family and wha¯ nau, to enter your home. If you want to speak to

Covid-19 response team

someone who is not a member of your household, use the phone or other means of contact.’’

On the ministry graphic, a spokesman said: ‘‘The ideal bubble contains only you and the people who live with you. However, not everyone has an ideal situation. If you live alone, rely on your family for care or support, share parenting duties, need child care while you perform an essential service, etc, your bubble can include people who don’t live with you.’’

When Stuff asked for clarification, the team admitted the ministry’s post isn’t clear ‘‘Living alone, in itself, is not a criteria for joining another bubble and moving between households during the self-isolation period . . .

‘‘If it were, this would have resulted in potentially thousands of people moving between homes . . . clearly increasing the potential for transmission of the virus. So the situation you outline doesn’t fit the criteria for a two-household bubble. ’’

* Cam, not his real name, asked to remain anonymous.

‘‘Living alone, in itself, is not a criteria for joining another bubble.’’