SUPPORT BUBBLES STILL IN PLACE

Support bubbles including those for single parents and families with very young children remain in place, despite Tier 4 restrictions.

From December 3 those with a baby under one were able to form an exclusive bubble with another household regardless of how many adults were in either home.

Under Tier 4 rules social mixing has been limited to one person meeting one other person in an outdoor space. But government rules say that even in Tier 4, all support bubbles for those at risk of loneliness can remain in place. This is despite the move by Downing Street to ban the forming of Christmas bubbles in Tier 4 postcodes.

■ For more on eligibility criteria for support bubbles, visit gov.uk/guidance/tier-4stay-at-home