TIME FOR BUBBLES
FAMILIES APART SINCE LOCKDOWN WILL FINALLY MEET UP INDOORS AGAIN UNDER NEW ‘BUBBLE’ RULE
TWO households in Wales will be allowed to pair up and form “one extended household” from Monday, the First Minister has said.
It’s the news many families have been waiting for because it will allow them to finally meet a loved one indoors and give them a cwtch.
Mark Drakeford said relaxing the rules on visiting one other household indoors will come into play alongside the end of the country’s five-mile travel guidance on July 6.
He told the Welsh Government’s daily press briefing in Cardiff yesterday: “This can allow families and close friends who have been separated by the coronavirus pandemic over the last few months to reconnect with one another and to enjoy one another’s company again indoors.
“Our aim has been to introduce this in a way which is as safe as possible, as fair as possible, and as simple as possible.
“And we’ve now reached the stage where, provided the situation remains favourable this time next week, we will be able to lift the ‘stay local’ requirement, and at the same time we’ll be able to make changes to the rules to allow people from two separate households to form one exclusive extended household.”
Mr Drakeford said all households will be included, regardless of the difference between the size of the two households which can be joined, and can include those shielding, but the extended household must contain the same people “for the foreseeable future”.
The entire extended household will need to selfisolate if anyone from it develops symptoms of Covid-19, he said, while households have also been recommended to keep records to help with the contact tracing in the case of a positive test.
Advice is due to be published on what the measures mean for people in households of multiple occupancy.
Mr Drakeford added: “By creating extended households, we will enable many families to be reunited
for the first time since March. Grandparents will be able to see and hold their grandchildren again.
“It will help support many working parents with informal childcare over the weeks ahead. And it will also offer important support to those who are caring alone for others.”
The First Minister said the changes will ultimately depend on the level at which the virus
is spreading by his next press briefing on Friday, and will take into account two outbreaks at food factories in Anglesey and Wrexham. Investigations are still under way to see whether the outbreaks at both sites have seeped into their wider communities, which could delay any relaxing of measures there if it was the case, he said.
“The early signs are encouraging that we are not seeing community seepage.
“But that week will be very important in that, if we don’t, the case for further measures will recede,” he said.
“If there is evidence of wider community transmission then we will take action to respond to it and do that on a local basis.” Meanwhile, here’s a quick guide to how the new guidelines on support bubbles will work, and what the rules mean for you:
■ When do they come in?
The new rules will come in on July 6 providing there is no sudden spike in cases.
■ Can I form a social bubble with someone who lives more than five miles from me?
On July 6 the Welsh Government is also planning to remove the five-mile rule. If this goes ahead as planned, people will be able to form a social bubble with someone from anywhere in Wales.
■ Does this apply to any household? Or is it just people who live alone? The new rules apply to all households. There are no restrictions on the sizes of the two households which can be joined together. It could be two households of 12 people each, for example.
■ How many households can I join?
According to the Welsh Government, your household can
By creating extended households, we will enable many families to be reunited for the first time since March
First Minister Mark Drakeford
only join up with one other household.
■ Can I change the household I have formed a bubble with?
Apparently not. The Welsh Government says the new social bubbles will be fixed for “the foreseeable future”.
■ What should I consider when working out who to form a social bubble with?
The First Minister yesterday outlined four things people should bear in mind when picking who to bubble up with.
These were:
1. Which people in your life need the most help? Mr Drakeford said: “Think about who needs support – some households may need more help than others; they may have greater needs.”
2. Some people may be put in great danger by forming a support bubble. “Think about the risks – people who are shielding are included, but this will increase their risk of being exposed to coronavirus,” said the First Minister.
3. Remember, if one of you gets ill, you all have to self-isolate. Mr Drakeford said: “Think about the consequences – if anyone in the extended household becomes ill, everyone will have to isolate for 14 days. For some people this will have a greater impact than for others, and needs to be thought about carefully.”
4. There is no going back. The First Minister said: “Think carefully about who you are joining with – once the extended household is formed it can’t be changed and you won’t be able to substitute members.”
■ Is there anything we need to do once we have formed a shared household?
The Welsh Government is calling on everyone to keep records of who they have come into contact with. This is to help with contact tracing if one member of a household gets one of the three Covid-19 symptoms.
■ How does this compare with other places?
The measures in Wales are less strict than in England.
Across the UK, only single adult households, in other words adults who live alone or with dependent children only, can form a support bubble with one other household.
In a statement yesterday the First Minister said they had looked at several other countries to come up with the Welsh rules.
He said: “This is the simplest form of this concept possible - we have looked carefully at how this has been done elsewhere in the UK and also around the world, drawing heavily on the New Zealand experience.”
■ What if I live in a house of multiple occupancy?
Many people who live in HMOs are in a tricky position because they live with lots of people so forming a bubble with a single household as a group may not be feasible.
We put this issue to the First Minister at the press conference yesterday and Mr Drakeford said the Welsh Government would be issuing further guidance later in the week.