New guidance has been provided on social distancing ahead of the relaxations announced by the Prime Minister yesterday.

There are now 2 separate sets of guidance on social distancing ‘Staying alert and safe (social distancing)’  – one applies until the 4^th July and the second applies from 4^th July, following the announcements yesterday in relation to further easing of lockdown and social distancing requirements.

To summarise the changes, from 4 July:

• you can meet in groups of up to two households (your support bubble counts as one household) in any location - public or private, indoors or outdoors. You do not always have to meet with the same household - you can meet with different households at different times. However, it remains the case - even inside someone’s home - that you should socially distance from anyone not in your household or bubble. This change also does not affect the support you receive from your carers
• when you are outside you can continue to meet in groups of up to six people from different households, following social distancing guidelines
• those who have been able to form a support bubble (i.e. those in single adult households) can continue to have close contact as if they live with the other people in the bubble, but you should not change who you have formed a support bubble with
• additional businesses and venues, including restaurants, pubs, cinemas, visitor attractions, hotels, and campsites will be able to open - but we will continue to keep closed certain premises where the risks of transmission may be higher
• other public places, such as libraries, community centres, places of worship, outdoor playgrounds and outdoor gyms will be able to open
• you can stay overnight away from your home with your own household or support bubble, or with members of one other household (where you need to keep social distancing)
• it will be against the law to gather in groups larger than 30 people, except for a limited set of circumstances to be set out in law and unless all members of the group are exclusively from two households. Police will have the power to break up groups larger than 30, apart from these exceptions

From 4 July, people will be trusted to continue acting responsibly by following this and related guidance, subject to an upper legal limit on gatherings (as described above). The Government considers that an overwhelming majority of the British public have complied with the regulations, and the wider guidance on how to keep themselves and their friends and family as safe as possible. Taking this into account, the Government trusts people to continue acting responsibly, and to follow the guidance on what they should and should not do.

It is stressed that while the changes will reopen much of society and the economy, it is essential that everyone in the country goes about their lives in a manner which reduces the risk of transmission, whether they are at work, leisure, or using public services. When you leaving your home, you should follow the guidelines on staying safe outside your home. You should continue to avoid close contact and remain socially distant from anyone you do not live with or who is not in your support bubble - even inside other people’s homes.

You should wash your hands regularly. This will help to protect you and anyone you come into contact with and is critical to keeping everyone safe.

You can find answers to the most frequently asked questions about what you should and should not do during the coronavirus outbreak on the Gov.uk FAQs page.

Source: Gov.uk