The UK government has announced that people living alone in England can form a 'bubble' with another household.
Speaking during today's daily coronavirus briefing, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that people who live alone or single parents with children under 18 will be allowed to form a support network with one other household from this weekend.
Mr Johnson confirmed that this meant people would, from Saturday (13 June), be able to spend the night - where necessary - and that the 2m social distancing rule would not have to be followed.
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He said: "From this weekend, we will allow single adult households - so adults living alone or single parents with children under 18 - to form a 'support bubble' with one other household.
"All those in a support bubble will be able to act as if they live in the same household - meaning they can spend time together inside each others' homes and do not need to stay 2 metres apart.
"I want to stress that support bubbles must be exclusive - meaning you cannot switch the household you are in a bubble with or connect with multiple households.
"And if any member of the support bubble develops symptoms, all members of the bubble will need to follow the normal advice on household isolation."
He added: "We are making this change to support those who are particularly lonely as a result of lockdown measures. It is a targeted intervention to limit the most harmful effects of the current social restrictions.
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"It is emphatically not designed for people who don't qualify to start meeting inside other people's homes - that remains against the law.
"Unfortunately, we cannot advise anyone who is shielding to form a support bubble at this stage, given their particular vulnerability to the virus.
"However, I want to say I know how hard it is for those of you who are shielding, and we will say more next week about the arrangements that will be in place for you beyond the end of June."
The Prime Minister also announced that a further 245 people have tragically died with Covid-19 in UK, bringing the total number of deaths to 41,128.
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This comes as the government announces further easing to lockdown measures, with zoos and safaris set to reopen, alongside other non-essential shops, from next Monday (15 June).
However, with strict social distancing guidelines necessary for sites to reopen, it will mean that indoor activities and attractions, such as reptile rooms, and amenities including cafes, will remain closed.
Confirming the news, a spokesperson for Downing Street said: "People are continuing to make huge sacrifices to reduce the spread of coronavirus and avoid a second spike, but we know it is tough and where we can safely open up more attractions, and it is supported by the science, we will do so.
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"This is by necessity a careful process, but we hope the reopening of safari parks and zoos will help provide families with more options to spend time outdoors, while supporting the industry caring for these incredible animals."
The full list of shops set to reopen next week includes:
- food retailers
- chemists
- hardware/homeware stores
- fashion shops
- charity shops
- betting shops and arcades
- tailors, dress fitters and fashion designers
- auction houses
- antique stores
- retail art galleries
- photography studios
- gift shops and retail spaces in theatres, museums, libraries, heritage sites and tourism sites
- mobile phone stores
- indoor markets
- craft fairs
- similar types of retail
Outdoor markets and car showrooms were allowed to reopen on 1 June.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Coronavirus