As restrictions on social contact have been increasing around the UK, our readers have asked us what this means for people in relationships who do not live with their partners. We’ve taken a look at the guidance for all four nations, including areas in local lockdown.
It’s important to remember that this guidance can change frequently. You can look online for all the latest information on restrictions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
England
Government guidance says that people who are “in an established relationship” do not need to socially distance. However, people in the “early stages” of a relationship are advised to “take particular care” to follow the guidance on social distancing.
It also says that, if you “intend to have close contact with someone” you should discuss how you can reduce risks of transmission, such as both of you avoiding close contact with people you do not live with.
In England, it is against the law to meet in a group of more than six people indoors or outdoors (unless they are all in your household or your support bubble – which can consist of two households as long as one is a single adult household).
You are allowed to stay overnight in someone else’s home, as long as it does not form a gathering of more than six people, but you should ensure you maintain social distancing and “excellent hygiene”, such as washing hands and surfaces. People in support bubbles can stay overnight in larger groups and do not need to socially distance as they count as one household, and people in established relationships do not need to socially distance.
Local lockdown areas in England
Several areas of England are currently operating under local lockdowns, and have different restrictions to the rest of the country. In these areas, there is no exception made to the restrictions for people who are in relationships.
In Greater Manchester, Leicester, the North West, Birmingham, and West Yorkshire, current guidance says you must not host people that you do not live with in your home or garden, or meet them in their home or garden, unless they are in your support or childcare bubble.
There is no exception made for people in relationships who are not in the same household or support bubble, but some other exceptions are set out in law, including: attending a birth at the mother’s request, visiting a person who is dying, for childcare or contact between parents and children, providing care or assistance to a vulnerable person, helping someone avoid injury, illness or harm or helping someone to move house.
In these areas, it is also advised that you do not meet with any people you do not live with in any public venue unless they are in your support bubble. In line with national restrictions, you must not meet in a group of more than six people, unless all are in your household or support bubble.
The main difference in the restrictions for the North East and Merseyside is that it is a requirement that you must not meet with people who you do not live with in public indoor settings (unless they are in your support bubble) – rather than just government advice.
The government also advises against meeting with people you do not live with in any outdoor public venues, and that you should not visit friends or family in care homes apart from in exceptional circumstances.
Scotland
Guidance from the Scottish government says two adults who are in a relationship but do not live together can agree to form an “extended household”, which can also include any children they live with. Everyone within this extended household can act, and will be treated, as if they are part of one household. This means they can spend time together inside each other’s homes and do not need to social distance.
Full Fact asked the Scottish government for clarification about whether two people who are in a relationship but live apart in homes they share with other adults (e.g. two people in separate flat shares) can also form extended households. The Scottish government refused to comment.
In Scotland, the rules say you should not meet with anyone from outside of your household indoors in your home or theirs, and you should only meet people socially from one other household at a time outdoors or at a public place indoors, up to a maximum of six people.
There are some exceptions to this, such as if someone requires a carer from another household, to help move house, for work, education or training or to seek medical attention or escape illness or harm.
Unlike in England, there are different rules for young people. Children under 12 from the two households do not count towards the total number of people at gatherings indoors or outdoors, while young people aged between 12 and 17 can meet in groups of up to six outdoors but are not subject to a two household limit.
Local lockdown areas in Scotland
Local lockdowns are in place in Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire.
These areas have extra restrictions, such as outdoor visits to care homes only (apart from in end of life or exceptional circumstances) and only essential hospital visits. However, people living in these areas are still permitted to form extended households.
Wales
Government regulations in Wales do not make any specific mention of people in relationships who do not live together. However, up to four households can join together to form an extended household. At the time of writing the majority of Wales was under local lockdown where socialising within extended households is not allowed (see below).
People in an extended household can have physical contact, go on holiday together and stay in each other’s homes. The only people you can meet socially indoors are those in your extended household. You can form an extended household with a household in England, as long as it complies with the rules in both countries.
There is no size limit to an extended household, but only up to six people within an extended household can meet indoors at any one time (not including children who are younger than 11). An individual household which itself consists of more than six people over the age of 11 can, of course, socialise together with no restrictions.
Everyone in each home must be part of the same extended household, and you cannot join a new one. However, there is an exception to the extended household rule. If you are living in a house of multiple occupation, you do not all have to agree to be part of the same extended household. In these circumstances you each form separate households and can form your own extended households.
If you share facilities, like bathrooms or kitchens, you can gather indoors with the people you share the facilities with in groups of up to six. However, the government advice is to “think very carefully about forming an extended household in these circumstances”.
In Wales, the rules state you cannot meet socially anywhere indoors with people you do not live with, unless they are in your extended household. You can also provide care to and support to people outside of your extended household if necessary. Outdoor gatherings of up to 30 people are permitted, but you should maintain social distancing from anyone not in your extended household.
Local lockdown areas in Wales
Local lockdowns are currently in place across Wales, in: Cardiff, Swansea, Bridgend, Caerphilly, the Vale of Glamorgan, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Wrexham, Flintshire, Blaenau Gwent, Conwy, Denbighshire, Llanelli, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Torfaen.
People who live in these areas are not permitted to visit friends and family who live outside of these areas, unless it’s to provide care for or help someone who needs it. Even in this case, you are advised to consider whether alternative sources of support are available and the government strongly recommends that you do not visit more than one person outside of your lockdown area.
You cannot continue socialising within your extended household indoors, even if those households live in the same area as you. You can only meet people you do not live with outdoors, including in your garden, unless you are visiting them on compassionate grounds or for childcare reasons.
This means that, if you are in a relationship with someone you do not live with, you will only be able to see them outdoors, with social distancing, and only if they live in the same local area as you.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, there is no specific mention of relationships in lockdown guidance. The rules state you can only meet in a private home with people in your bubble.
You can form a bubble with one other household. The two households can be any size, but you cannot meet in a private home in groups of more than six people or in a garden in a group of more than 15 (although children under 12 are not counted in the total).
For people outside of your bubble, there can be no mixing of households inside private homes (with some exceptions, such as childcare, work, funerals or a marriage in a private dwelling when one partner is terminally ill). Up to six people from no more than two households can meet in a private garden, and children under the age of 12 are not counted in this total.
Gatherings of up to 15 people are allowed indoors or outdoors in places that are not in private dwellings. However, in places where alcohol is served no more than six people from no more than two households can sit together. Again, children under 12 are not counted towards this total.
Local lockdown areas in Northern Ireland
Additional lockdown restrictions are in place in Derry/Londonderry and Strabane. In these areas, you are still permitted to form a bubble with another household of any size.
You should not take part in any indoor gathering involving people you do not live with or are not in a bubble with, and hospitality venues are only open for takeaway, delivery and outdoor dining.
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