Families can plan reunions as rules ease

Groups of up to six can meet outdoors People from different households will be allowed at meetings

FAMILY MEMBERS from different households have been given the chance to meet for the first time in more than two months as an easing of the coronavirus lockdown measures paved the way for them to reunite.

Small social gatherings will be permitted from Monday, Boris Johnson announced yesterday, as he said the Government’s five tests for starting to end lockdown restrictions in England had been met.

The Prime Minister said groups of up to six people from outside one household can meet in private gardens, “provided those from different households continue strictly to stick to socialdistancing rules” by staying two metres apart.

But they would not be allowed to stay overnight, or go indoors other than to gain access to a garden, he said.

The move will be a welcome boost for families and friendship groups, who have now spent more than two months apart since lockdown began on March 23.

Mr Johnson said: “I know the toll the lockdown has taken on families and friends who have been unable to see each other.

“We will now allow people to meet in gardens and other outdoor spaces.

“These changes that friends and families can now meet their loved ones, perhaps seeing both parents at once, or both grandparents at once, and I know for many people this will be a longawaited joyful moment.

“But I must stress, that to control the virus, everyone must stay alert, act responsibly, strictly observe social-distancing rules and stay two metres apart from those you do not live with.”

Mr Johnson also urged people to avoid “seeing too many people from too many households” in quick succession, but said further guidance would follow. He also said those who were shielding for health reasons should continue to do so.

England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said it is hoped that “relatively soon” the number of infections will be low enough to start letting shielded people leave home.

A member of the public, Jay, 33, from Horsham, who is shielding with her 10-year-old son, asked the Downing Street briefing how the lockdown was going to be eased for the extremely vulnerable, saying she felt that people like her had been forgotten.

Prof Whitty said the number of infections must come down to reduce the risk for the shielded and vulnerable.

“And we will get to a stage, we hope relatively soon, where the absolute risk of people has gone down to a low enough level it will be possible in stages for people to leave shielding,” he said.

Mr Johnson said: “We do want people to be able to see their friends and family, we do want people to see two grandparents at once but it’s got to be socially distanced, there’s got to be a maximum of six people.”

He added: “We don’t want people to stay overnight, we don’t want people to go to other households and stay there, I’m just afraid we’re not at that stage.

“What you certainly can imagine is there could be meetings of families in a garden, you could even have a barbecue provided you did it in a socially-distanced way, provided everyone washes their hands, provided everybody exercises common sense.”

The Government’s scientific advisors urged people not to get carried away. Prof Whitty said: “If people are meeting in these new, slightly relaxed social-distancing guidelines in terms of meeting outdoors, it is essential that people maintain two metres – and that is really important.”

Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance stressed the number of new infections is about one in a thousand per week – meaning that “54,000 new cases are occurring every week”.

A further 337 deaths of people who had tested positive for coronavirus were recorded yesterday, bringing the UK total to 37,837.

In Yorkshire, 2,466 people have now died, and this figure rose by 17 yesterday.