After Boris Johnson’s announcement today (19th December 2020), people across the UK are devastated, angry and at a loss in regards to the government’s change in plans for Christmas, as plans for bubbles of three households to be able to mix is no longer allowed.
Not just this, but talk of a new strain of COVID-19 is leaving people afraid, and fearful for themselves and their loved ones.
Lastly, people are struggling to imagine an end to the virus, and are rightly fearful of what the future holds.
With some of our editors living in the South East, it’s been a shock to the system to learn that many areas are going into Tier 4 Lockdown.
But there may be some confusion over what this means in terms of bubbles, including support bubbles and childcare bubbles. So we just wanted to offer some information on what the bubbles actually mean, and the exceptions.
Some areas in East and South East of England, and all London Boroughs, that that are currently in Tier 3, will move to Tier 4 on Sunday.
The people in these areas will be required to stay at home, while those in Tiers 1, 2 and 3, will be allowed to meet indoors on Christmas Day only, instead of the five days previously mentioned.
In the South East, the areas affected are Kent, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey (excluding Waverly), Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth and Rother and Hastings.
The areas affected in the east of England are Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring), and Peterborough.
The Tier change will take place on Sunday at midnight.
If you are in, or have moved into Tier 3, rules have been tightened — but you are still allowed to mix with two other households for Christmas Day only (instead of the five days previously planned).
This cannot include anyone from Tier 4.
There are exceptions to the Tiers, which were decided on the number of COVID-19 cases in each area; as well as the number of cases in over 60s, the proportion of positive test results and the pressure on the NHS. This includes support and childcare bubbles.
Support bubbles and Childcare bubbles are exempt from Tier 4 restrictions.
A support bubble is, according to the Gov UK site, “a support network which links 2 households.
You have to meet certain eligibility rules to form a support bubble.
This means not everyone will be able to form a support bubble.
Once you’re in a support bubble, you can think of yourself as being in one ‘household’.
It means you can have close contact with the other household in your bubble as if they were members of your own household.
This means you do not need to maintain social distance with people in your support bubble.”
There is a certain criteria for entering a support bubble. Of which includes living by yourself, being the only adult in your household who does not need continuous care as a result of a disability, your child is under the age of one, or was before December 2020, your household includes a child with a disability who requires continuous care and is under the age of 5, or was under that age on 2nd December 2020, you are aged 16 to 17 and living with others of the same age without adults, or if you are a single adult living with one or more children who are under the age of 18, or were under that age on 12 June 2020.
Childcare bubbles are also exempt. This, according to the government, is where you form a bubble to provide or receive childcare from one other household, if you live with someone under 14.
But they add: “However, you must not meet socially with your childcare bubble, and must avoid seeing members of your childcare and support bubbles at the same time, unless otherwise permitted by gathering limits in your tier.”
You are also allowed to socially distance outside with one other person, who is not from your household.
The rules are confusing and upsetting, and cancelling gatherings for Christmas will be devastating for many, but we must try to hold on and get through this, together.
It is also important to remember and appreciate that those who celebrate other religious festivities, such as Eid, have gone through a devastating time already, when it was cancelled just the night before celebrations, earlier this year.
Please know that it is okay to feel angry and heartbroken and let down. Take some time for yourself to process these feelings. But we can and will get through this so please keep holding on to hope.
