BORIS ‘BUBBLE’ TO BEAT LONELINESS
■ Millions allowed to hug grandkids or see partner ■ But measures are only for those who live alone
OLDER people living alone may be able to hug their grandchildren from this weekend, Boris Johnson said last night.
Unveiling a partial easing of the lockdown rules, the Prime Minister said 11 million adults living alone will be able to form a ‘support bubble’ with one other household from Saturday.
Those inside the bubble will be allowed to abandon social distancing rules – enabling them to hug, visit each other’s homes and stay overnight.
The move will help ease the heartache faced by millions living alone since the lockdown was introduced on March 23.
Older people living alone will be able to form a ‘bubble’ with a son or daughter and all members of their household. However, they will only be able to make the arrangement with one household – leading to agonising choices.
Many couples living apart will also be able to see each other without social distancing for the first time in almost three months, easing the so-called ‘sex ban’.
Single parents with children aged under 18 will also be covered by the move, potentially allowing them to form a ‘bubble’ with a friend or relative to provide support or childcare.
The new policy will help an estimated 8.2 million people living alone and 2.9 million one-parent families. But with cases of coronavirus still running stubbornly high, millions of other families will have to wait longer before they can hug their loved ones again.
They will remain limited to outdoor gatherings of no more than six others – with social distancing.
More than two million people who are shielding were also warned that it is still deemed too risky for them to mix with even one other household, although Mr Johnson promised more measures to help them next week.
Announcing the plan for support bubbles last night, the PM said: ‘I know how difficult the past months have been for people cut off from their family and friends. There are still too many people, particularly those who live by themselves, who are by themselves and struggling.’
Mr Johnson acknowledged many people would be disappointed by the restrictions on eligibility, but cautioned that the change was not an excuse for a free-for-all.
He said the ‘targeted’ measure was designed to help ‘those who are particularly lonely as a result of lockdown measures’.
He added: ‘It’s a targeted intervention to limit the most harmful effects of the current social restrictions. It is emphatically not designed for people who don’t qualify to start meeting inside other people’s homes, because that remains against the law.’
The cautious nature of the move reflects continuing concern about the high level of virus cases.
Last month, the PM’s roadmap for easing the lockdown set out an ambition to allow any two households to form a social bubble.
At one point, ministers were even considering allowing three households to ‘bubble’ together. But scientists warned that either move would risk transmission of the virus taking off again.
Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty underlined the continuing risk yesterday, telling the Downing Street briefing: ‘To be very clear, we are not at the end of this epidemic, not by a long shot.’ Professor Whitty said he was ‘comfortable’ with the latest easing, which also includes the reopening of non- essential shops on Monday and the opening of churches for private prayer.
But he added: ‘The idea that there is some option that is completely safe and all fine is clearly not true. So what we think is that this is reasonable – provided people hear what the Prime Minister is saying and stick to what the Prime Minister is saying and don’t try and extend it out.’
Limiting the policy to single-person households means the heartache of separation will go on for many families. While an older person living alone will be able to meet and hug one child and their family members, an older couple cannot.
Mr Johnson acknowledged there were ‘anomalies’ but urged people to stick to the rules.
A No 10 spokesman said: ‘It is not going to help everyone, we accept that, but we have to take cautious steps and there is particular concern around the isolation of people living alone.’
Questions are likely to be asked over how well the scheme can be policed, with No 10 admitting it will be ‘taken on trust’. The spokesman said: ‘People have shown great responsibility in following the social distancing rules so far – they understand the need not to spread the virus between households.’