Household Bubbles (visits between friends/family)

Simply put, increasing your social isolation "bubbles" to 2-3+ households. The exact same rules would apply to your own single household i.e if one person gets symptoms the whole household self-isolates for 14 days & person sick isolates for 7, but that is extended to the entire "household bubble."

Furtehrmore, in enacting this, households will be able to gather together inside their own houses or gardens to socialise.

Why the contribution is important

Pros
- Those living alone will be able to see friends or family, drastically improving their mental health.
- People are more likely to abide by the lockdown rules if the government give them some "leeway" and give them the freedom to police their own actions and see friends/family.
- Those struggling with mental health impacts of self isolation can see friends/family and help each other through this.
- It is a change which would increase public support of government policy, increase positive mental health, increase support, empower citizens without drastically increasing R.
- Household bubbles would be exclusive i.e if you has your mum on your list your mum had to have you on her list etc, stopping exponential increase in transmission pathways throughout the population.
- Household bubbles retaining the same rules as single households in terms of self-isolation would furthermore stop the risk of R increasing.
- Admissions to mental health acute hospitals & those presenting to acute NHS services with mental health issues exacerbated with lack of essential social contact would decrease.
- Some people are clearly ignoring lockdown entirely anyway now (roads are much busier now than 3-6 weeks ago) so empowering them with some freedoms makes them more likely to stick to them.

Cons
- Difficult/impossible to police. However lets be honest, it isn't much harder than policing 1 x exercise allowance per day or "only essential" shopping trips. Obviously social gatherings must still be within household bubbles and therefore not in public so that aspect would still be easy to police.
- R may increase if the whole household bubble cannot communicate efficiently or for instance don't self-isolate for 14 days when required. I feel on the whole this will be certainly adhered to by those already following guidance and will likely be adhered to by some who have now ignored it through a "the government is letting me do this so I better buck up my ideas" attitude.

In essence, I work in a mental health hospital & I see the importance of social contact in admissions here precipitated by some COVID-19 related issues. The lockdown being this strict is harming health, so I feel the public needs a little empowerment and a little freedom to strike the right balance between keeping R down through lockdown whilst keeping overall health up through loosening the impact on people's freedoms.

by dsysa on May 05, 2020 at 02:12PM

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Average rating: 4.8
Based on: 26 votes

Comments

  • Posted by dantelopez May 06, 2020 at 11:14

    Small social gatherings limited to 2 or 3 people should be allowed as an addition to what you have mentioned as soon as possible. It would be important to ensure that the groups are exclusive as you said so for example, for two partners to see each other, they must have each other on a bubble list (will discuss the impact of partners further on). Minimal social interaction such as this will motivate people and help to maintain morale, good mental health etc. Another issue is partners living separately. For many who would (before lockdown) see partners daily or regularly, being apart like this will be causing huge issues - even some of the 'strongest' relationships may be weakening if there isn't a way forward or a way to allow people to at least have the choice to see their partner soon. It has been over six weeks and if this continues there will be lasting mental health issues as a result of this. Relationships that are irreparably damaged may result in a high number of relationships ending, divorces etc and that added mental stress at this time is unnecessary and dangerous. Relationship breakdown is a leading cause of suicide in Scotland (https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/s/suicide) and unless action is taken, there is a risk of a 'Mental Health Pandemic' looming on the horizon. Even for those not in relationships, the ability to visit a friend or close family member and talk in person would boost morale and mental wellbeing considerably. It would possibly as you mentioned, increase compliance as people will feel less restricted and rebellious as a result of these measures.

  • Posted by JackJames3 May 06, 2020 at 11:32

    Personally, being prohibited from seeing a small group of people outside my household [where I'm currently staying with my parents] is the hardest restriction to live with for an extended period of time.
    I've complied with all the restrictions put in place so far, but the thought of a further three weeks [taking the total to nine weeks] without being allowed to visit my girlfriend, and my two grandparents, is utterly demoralising.
    I understand why it's necessary that I stay at home for now, and I will continue to do so. But going forward, I really hope the proposal for 'household bubbles' will be introduced.
    Obviously, it is the proposal which carries the greatest risk, as it would result in people socialising with those outside their own household - increasing the R number.
    However, it's widely recognised the current measures are not sustainable. And, for me personally, the opportunity to visit three people, in two other households, would make all the other measures far more tolerable and easier to comply with for a longer period of time.
    I can go without visiting a gym, a restaurant, a cafe, a cinema, a clothing shop, a running track, and the majority of my friends and other family for longer.
    But in return, I'd like a bit of freedom to spend time with three other people outside my household who I went from seeing regularly, to not seeing at all for six [and potentially nine] weeks.

  • Posted by Mlappin May 06, 2020 at 12:12

    Myself and partner have both self-isolated for 6 weeks as stay in separate houses which are only 15 minutes drive away from each other. . Having that limited social bubble will allow us to meet with little or no risk of spreading the virus.

  • Posted by CampbellA9 May 06, 2020 at 12:28

    This is really important, and is the single biggest thing that would help many people who are struggling. I do have one concern with it, and it relates to grandchildren. Many children now have 3 or 4 sets of grandparents, and you'd expect that they all want to see their grandchildren. That then could create quite a big 'bubble' with the various people who all want to see the children, and the multiple grandparents will usually be a result of earlier divorces. If, say, we can all only have one bubble, you could end up with your beloved grandkids and a bundle of people you never want to see again.

  • Posted by BeeCurry May 06, 2020 at 12:33

    This is very contradictory, almost impossible to police and difficult to assess if this will work or it wont.
    I have been working non stop through this pandemic along with many others classed as firstly key worker and now essential worker. at first this was very daunting coming home scrubbing, changing clothes, showering before approaching my partner.
    I spend more time each day working with strangers and work colleagues trying to maintain distancing and taking extreme care, but I am not allowed to have my family in the garden using the same measures ( maybe even safer) this is a contradiction in terms.
    All my family have been locked down but I am not allowed to visit/speak to them or them to me but I can work with total strangers up and down the country daily!
    Common sense must be used in these circumstances I would not put my family at risk.
    Unlike some scientists and MP's acting stupidly, PPE is a last barrier to protection and since the virus cannot be eradicated distancing and cleanliness is first vital barrier.
    This can be done with families in small distancing groups surely without threat of persecution.
      

  • Posted by maybuds20 May 10, 2020 at 15:04

    Agree that it might be difficult to police but really feel that something along these lines is required- to release some of the tension within households, reduce isolation and build a way forward.

  • Posted by maybuds20 May 10, 2020 at 15:05

    Agree that it might be difficult to police but really feel that something along these lines is required- to release some of the tension within households, reduce isolation and build a way forward.
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