Under what conditions can you meet family in lockdown?

The Government is facing increasing criticism over its decision to show support for Dominic Cummings after it was revealed he drove 260 miles to his parents’ house in Durham during lockdown.

The Prime Minister’s chief aide made the journey while both he and his wife Mary Wakefield had coronavirus symptoms, with the Government claiming he went to his parents house to ensure his four-year-old son had childcare if they were both unwell.

All of which has once again left people confused about the rules about how you can see family in lockdown, and where?

Just what are the current guidelines?

Under what conditions can you meet family in lockdown?

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Currently people can meet with one other person from outside of their household, following the easing of some lockdown restrictions earlier this month.

However under the current rules you can only meet them outdoors – in an open space such as a park, not in your own garden – and you have to maintain social distancing staying two metres apart from them at all times.

What this effectively means is that you can meet people such as your parents – but only in an outdoor setting, and only one parent at a time.

The new regulations came in after Boris Johnson’s address to the nation on Sunday 10 May, when he eased some lockdown restrictions to allow people to spend unlimited time outdoors exercising or sitting in the sun.

Dominic Raab later confirmed that this also meant people could meet up with one other person from outside their household under those conditions.

When asked if it meant people could meet up with their mum in the morning and their dad in the afternoon he explained: ‘Outside, in the outdoors, staying two metres apart, yes.’

Can you use public transport to see friends and family?

The Government has advised against all but essential use of public transport (for those who need it to get to work where they cannot work from home, for example) encouraging people instead to walk and cycle to places – although people can also drive to another part of England to spend time outdoors.

The next review of lockdown is due to happen this week, following the Government’s pledge to review the measures every three weeks.

Boris Johnson confirmed yesterday that the next stage would see the gradual re-opening of schools for some years from 1 June, although other measures have yet to be confirmed.

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