please empty your brain below
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Its a bit of a shambles isn't it.
The virus has not vanished although number have dropped. People forget that. Roll on second wave Oct.
People keep forgetting about 2 metre. There are no advertisement reminders such as hand washing. Peoples common sense is exactly that... their own.
This could have been so simple
1. Wear a mask in shops and transport
2. Wash hands frequently
3. 2 meter apart from others
4. The info about see people outside your house hold...what ever that is
Bruce Wayne | 13.07.20 - 7:38 a.m. | #
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Thanks DG. I can see where the confusion may lie in the second set of examples - the use of the words ‘different households’, rather than ‘more than two households’.
In any case, since these rules are virtually impossible to enforce, relying on people’s ‘common sense’ is all we really have to go on.
Sam | 13.07.20 - 7:41 a.m. | #
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By “allowed”, do you mean not forbidden by the current emergency laws or not advised against in the current government guidance?
Mike Scott | 13.07.20 - 7:43 a.m. | #
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I am not saying the government have done this deliberately, but having this confusing mess of rules does mean it's much easier to blame the public for not obeying them when things go wrong...
Although it has to be said, they're not rules. They're guidance. And ever since the arrogant Dominic Cummings's trip to Barnard Castle, government ministers have been falling over themselves to say people need to use their own common sense over anything else.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to hold a massive Cummings Convention in my garden.
Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 13.07.20 - 8:42 a.m. | #
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And the police are expected to advise, monitor or enforce on this absurdly muddled set of guidance or rules? I do not believe I am stupid but I have long given up trying to keep track of precisely what I am either allowed or supposed to do. Anyone within 2m of me is politely asked to keep their distance and, as on Saturday, when in my local shop I asked a lady to move back a moment whilst I picked up my newspaper she kindly did so.
J. | 13.07.20 - 8:48 a.m. | #
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Of course, those in the shielding group also have their own set of rules, easing in August.
It's a complete mess.
E | 13.07.20 - 9:14 a.m. | #
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Just going to the park gives plenty of clues about what people are thinking about when it comes to social distancing and gathering size. Recently I witnessed a party with 100+ people including hired catering in Battersea Park!
Beanie | 13.07.20 - 9:15 a.m. | #
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Ah, if we had a competent Government that I had trust in, I would pay absolute attention to what the latest guidance Is. Alas, we do not. And that is why so many people have lost track of what is officially allowed and what’s not.
Madness isn’t it, that when you vote a government in on a three word slogan on one issue, that it then falls apart when something actually serious happens that needs real governing. Who’d have thought eh?
AndrewD | 13.07.20 - 9:22 a.m. | #
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Ministers saying that we / they can rely on common sense shows that Ministers are out-of-touch with reality (yet again).
It is patently clear that the British People generally do not have any common sense. The basis of law is that people do not have and cannot be relied upon to use common sense, and that has nothing to do with Coronavirus.
For example, youff walking over the roof of a building in order to break in ... roof collapses ... youff breaks back landing on floor of building ... successfully claims damages from owner of building.
Or the endless automated warning messages we endure at railway stations and on buses (when we're allowed to travel), as per DG's various previous posts.
Sensible and Sensitive | 13.07.20 - 9:23 a.m. | #
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Meanwhile, in Wales and Scotland...
ActonMan | 13.07.20 - 9:38 a.m. | #
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The concept of households and support bubbles was removed when The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020 came into force, which revoked the earlier regulations.
There is also a distinction between guidance (which is not enforceable) and the regulations (which are enforceable).
LawPerson | 13.07.20 - 9:43 a.m. | #
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That people are unable - or possibly unwilling - to comply with these absurdly complex and occasionally nuanced sets of advice is not surprising. Behavioural science text books are likely to be widely revised following retrospective case studies of the events in 2020.
Johnson intoned at the start of lockdown that 'many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time' and I fear that statement remains true today, and the confused guidance has been diluted into mere background noise.
Frank F | 13.07.20 - 9:57 a.m. | #
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Today’s post is about current guidance.
Legally there’s no longer anything to stop ten of you piling round to a friend’s house and licking their surfaces.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 13.07.20 - 10:14 a.m. | #
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I think you need to get out more, these brain dumps are getting ridiculous
Surbitonian | 13.07.20 - 10:34 a.m. | #
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At one point I noted that, if a group of people in the back garden of a house, say, were obliged to go inside because it started to rain, they would be breaking the law (or was it the "guidance"?) in doing so.
My girlfriend and I wear masks, socially distance, wash our hands regularly ... and have next to nobody round because the "law" - or "guidance" - on meetings is so hopelessly confused.
And now we have Boris stating that people should "go back to the office", or words to that effect. Was that (eventual) law, guidance, or whatever happened to come out of his mouth when his belly rumbled?
A big concern of mine is that, when things get back to normal (eventually), there will be a large increase in crime because people will have got used to considering laws - or guidance - muddled, unenforceable and unenforced and will take the law less seriously.
Alastair Scott | 13.07.20 - 10:35 a.m. | #
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I'd rather not lick anyone's surfaces, thank you, DG.
B | 13.07.20 - 10:41 a.m. | #
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How on earth are any pubs or restaurants allowed to open if (2) and (6) are both NO?
As as for buses, trains and tubes...
Gerry | 13.07.20 - 11:03 a.m. | #
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Reluctantly went along to my other half's family BBQ at the weekend, having been assured everyone would be sensible. 4 households if you group the elderly relative in a bubble, though she was brought by car by a household she's not bubbling with and taken home by another, which rather blows that one. Apart from not actually hugging, no attempt to distance in a small courtyard or put any precautions in place, even easy things like a soap dispenser bottle in the loo instead of a shared bar.
I think a lot of people are assuming the risk of having the virus is now so low they don't need to take precautions any more, which is fine until someone does have it. Still, with such unclear mixed messages from the government I suppose it's no surprise.
Ralph Ayres | 13.07.20 - 11:50 a.m. | #
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I thought I understood the rules but got question 1 wrong. The rules are confusing to say the least and many of them were superceded by the July 3rd update of the main act. I tend to treat them more liberally than some and can still say that since March I have never been within 2m of anybody for 15 minutes (the figure which was going to be used in the now abandoned mobile T&T app) despite several train journeys and a nice pub lunch.
davews | 13.07.20 - 12:12 p.m. | #
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Oh! Are we still technically in lockdown? I thought that had all ended about 6 weeks ago when Cummings-gate broke!
It's a joke. I thought I was well up on the guidelines, but thought the first 3 were all No's and the second 3 were all Yes!
Luckily my 'in-person' contacts only concern 2 household (one of 7 and one of 3) - but as it'd be 10 people if we all got together I figure that's a No in every scenario!
Re bar soap: Logic dictates that if the virus is broken down and rendered harmless by the use of soap - it can't survive on a bar of soap either! So really it's a common myth that bar soap is a breeding ground for germs.
Cornish Cockney | 13.07.20 - 1:09 p.m. | #
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Since you asked, DG, I didn't quite get all the questions right but more importantly (to you), I have not left my building for any reason since March. The world (Britain especially) may be acting like the virus is no longer a major threat, but that's not the case for me, as three of the reasons to be shielded apply to me so it's just not worth it to risk my health. This has meant no exercise and no visits, most painfully, no visits to my grieving mum after my dad passed away and hence not being able to attend his funeral. It irritates and gets me anxious to see people being Covidiotic and flouting the guidelines/law. It may be government sanctioned to have small gatherings, but that doesn't mean we should. We're not out of the woods yet.
Mo Hassan | Homepage | 13.07.20 - 2:41 p.m. | #
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Afraid I can't make head or tail of those examples and nor do I have the time to go through them intensively.
As someone else said, simple and clear messages about safety and hygiene are all that is required. Not a load of waffle that requires a familiarity with algebra and Venn-diagrams to comprehend.
England is supposed to be the land of health and safety mania. It can't be that difficult.
Keep distance at all times. Wash hands, wash surroundings, don't touch face, wear a face mask, use hand sanitizer. All people need to know. 'ealth & safety innit.
Kevin | 14.07.20 - 10:30 a.m. | #
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forgot to say, wasn't meant to be a criticism of the examples, my point was that the govt's advice is so confusing.
Great blog by the way. Newcomer here.
Kevin | 14.07.20 - 10:33 a.m. | #
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I stopped paying attention to the official guidance once the government's own advisors did.
I still practice as much good social distancing and viral hygiene as practical however; but in terms of the specific 'rules' (whether it be advice, guidance or actual unenforceable regulation) I view them as largely irrelevant.
Anonymous | 14.07.20 - 12:51 p.m. | #
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Imagine the amount of work and effort that has been wasted coming up with these convoluted scenarios that nobody is really going to adhere to anyway - if you're worried then you won't have gatherings and if you aren't worried then you don't care. On the other hand, better this than some hare-brained scheme that sounds good on paper but actually increases inequality.
John | 15.07.20 - 7:28 a.m. | #
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Where does the guidance/regulation about a maximum of 30 people in an outdoors gathering apply? For example, does it not apply to no 6?
Peter | 15.07.20 - 12:57 p.m. | #
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