Coronavirus bubbles: How do they work and who is in yours?
Coronavirus bubbles: How do they work and who is in yours?
(30 days later)
"Bubbles" of people we can meet safely may form part of the plans to move the UK out of the coronavirus lockdown.
As lockdown restrictions are eased, the government has announced that people in England can set up support bubbles.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out a road map for how Britain could start easing restrictions and this 50-page document includes the possibility of widening our "social bubbles".
The idea is aimed at some people who've been cut off from friends and family.
What are social bubbles?
What is a support bubble?
A bubble is defined as a group of people with whom you have close physical contact.
A bubble is defined as a group of people with whom you have close physical contact.
Coronavirus spreads when people mix - be it at work, in shops, pubs and clubs, or on buses and trains.
From Saturday, in England, single adults living alone - or single parents whose children are under 18 - can form a support bubble with one other household.
In lockdown, to try to control the virus, people have been asked actively to avoid anyone who is not in their household and stay at home.
The second household can be of any size.
Limiting our interactions with others is our best defence against coronavirus.
Nobody who is shielding should join a bubble.
The virus is transmitted by droplets from infected people when they talk, cough and sneeze. These can enter the body through the eyes, nose and mouth, either directly or after touching a contaminated object.
The independent advisory group Sage has been asked to examine if, when and how people might safely be allowed to expand their bubbles.
Who should be in my bubble?
The idea was introduced in New Zealand and is being considered by the Scottish government.
It depends on your own health risk if you were to catch coronavirus, as well as the health of the people you live with.
What are the support bubble rules?
People most at risk of needing hospital treatment if they catch coronavirus are being asked to stay at home and shield.
Support bubbles must be "exclusive". Once in one, you can't switch and start another with a different household.
That means they should not go out, even to shop for food or collect medicines.
People in each bubble can visit each other's homes and go inside.
The only people in their social bubble will be the people they live with and any carers who need to visit.
They won't have to stay 2m (6ft) apart and can even stay overnight.
If you live with someone who is shielding, but do not need to shield yourself, you can go out to shop and take exercise but should stick to social distancing rules when you are out, which means keeping 2m (6ft) away from other people.
Anyone in the bubble contacted as part of England's test and trace programme must stay at home. If they develop coronavirus symptoms, everyone in the bubble must self-isolate.
Expanding our bubbles
There is no limit on how far you can travel in England for your support bubble but local is best, the government says.
From Wednesday, 13 May, people in England are being told they can start to meet one other person from a different household outdoors.
You can't bubble with anyone in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
This is outside your bubble - you will still need to follow social distancing guidelines and keep 2m apart when you meet.
But what if...?
The government has asked the independent advisory group Sage to examine if, when and how people might safely be allowed to expand their bubble to include a few select people - another household, for example.
Social and family groups are complicated and might not fit bubble rules.
That could let people who are currently living on their own have some more social contact.
Grandparents:
Members of a bubble would be able to visit one another in their homes.
Single parents:
But it would still be important to limit the risk of chains of transmission.
If you are single:
If Household A merges with Household B, Household B could not also link up with another group - Household C - because this would create a chain that could allow the virus to spread widely.
You can read the government's guidelines in full here.
The bubble concept is already being used in New Zealand and is being considered by the Scottish government.
What if I don't live alone?
England's deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries says allowing different households to meet as bubbles could be beneficial for "mental health" but would be "complicated" from a public health perspective, in terms of keeping on top of the virus as more people start to mix.
If you don't live on your own, or you are not a single parent whose children are under 18, then the rules haven't changed.
"For example, if you have families with large numbers already in their families who want to meet up, you end up effectively with quite a large gathering even if it's just two families meeting.
However, you can, of course, invite someone eligible to join a social bubble with your household.
"I think it's really important that we think through the implications of that, particularly across families in different circumstances."
Otherwise, you must meet people you don't live with outside. The number of people you are allowed to meet depends on where in the UK you live.
How to keep your bubble safe
Why are bubbles needed?
Continue to stay 2m away from anyone outside your bubble.
Basically, when people mix - especially in crowded places - coronavirus can spread.
Wash and dry your hands when you return to your bubble and keep up good hygiene and cleaning practices when you're at home.
The virus is transmitted by droplets from infected people when they talk, cough and sneeze.
If anyone in your bubble develops coronavirus symptoms, everyone in the bubble would need to self-isolate.
These can enter the body through the eyes, nose and mouth, either directly or after touching a contaminated object.
That's why people have been asked to maintain social distancing when meeting anyone not from their household.
Bubbles allow some people more contact with others, while keeping other social distancing measures in place.
Who will be in your social bubble? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist.
