Single Person Household Bubbles

Allow people who live alone to create bubbles with other people who are alone or join into a small household. For instance couples who live separately but both alone could create a bubble together.

Why the contribution is important

The current guidance, despite being constantly under review, has yet to positively reach people who live alone and are entirely isolated by the situation. It feels crass to me to be repeating “stay home save lives” when people are dying by suicide because they are so alone. There is a whole vulnerable population that the current measures could be a death sentence for and they have yet to even be mentioned. This should have been addressed at the very beginning.

by kellygiven on May 05, 2020 at 10:53PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.8
Based on: 69 votes

Comments

  • Posted by Cherrylynn May 05, 2020 at 23:12

    I think that it’s very important psychologically for a single household to be able to have interaction with another household friend or family.

  • Posted by AllanPettie May 05, 2020 at 23:18

    Worth considering if this is manageable without opening the floodgates.

  • Posted by Nina1000 May 05, 2020 at 23:21

    I am in complete agreement of this. It is extremely difficult for partners who live in separate households to be unable to see each other. Particularly when one or both live alone. Living alone with no interaction with others is a serious risk to a person's mental health. It feels like we are putting a potential risk of COVID infection and a low percentage chance of death ahead of a very real risk to individuals well being and mental health. Surely the safety and well being of individuals is just as important as being able to control any potential over burden risk to our NHS. Does there come a point where individual isolation through immediate short term or longer term effects had a greater burden on the NHS than COVID19 in the long run? How far are we willing to test/risk this?

  • Posted by Mags00 May 05, 2020 at 23:25

    I agree as a single household. I'm not sure the bubble idea would work for me as if I saw my mum it would mean she couldn't see either of my brothers or their children. I also think it would be very hard to police as they seem very under resourced.

  • Posted by Keith May 05, 2020 at 23:38

    Two people in a relationship who are living in seperate households should be allowed to meet. As long as they were not meeting with others. Currently children from separated families can move between houses to see separated parents, I think relationships in different houses should be the same as long as staying in the bubble?

  • Posted by Cathy_Baldwin May 06, 2020 at 00:33

    The Prime Minister of New Zealand allowed this all through their lock down. This lock down is killing isolated people, it's a jail sentence that's normally given for violent crime etc, solitary confinement.

  • Posted by EllaG May 06, 2020 at 01:03

    I agree. Social contact is impor7 and can safely done

  • Posted by Karenfox May 06, 2020 at 06:55

    I agree, there is no increased risk of 2 households seeing each other. This will massively improve the isolation that lick down has created. This could be used to help those shielded as well. As long as both groups are isolated, no one is working, what is the risk to a shielded person? For example grandparents and their grandchildren, as long as no one is a key worker and being exposed to the public, what risk is there?

  • Posted by HanSolo May 06, 2020 at 07:44

    Cannot stress how important this one should be in the immediate start of any removal of restrictions. I'm sure many of us, would like to interact physically with our partners, and I'm sure the relationship has been tested enough to warrant this inclusion in any initial phased release. It should not obviously be a signal for singles to start socialising, but any relationship already begun before the lockdown should be allowed to renew again. Distances will naturally be a factor, but those locally should be without risk.

  • Posted by Milliesmum May 06, 2020 at 08:00

    Older people who want to continue to live in their own home need some social contact. Many are not yet at the point of receiving social care. Some are particularly vulnerable eg forgetting to eat/drink regularly, need physical assistance in the home, monitoring of mental/physical health. Being able to create a “family bubble” to support them would be hugely helpful.

  • Posted by pip May 06, 2020 at 08:04

    Bubble concept is good, danger i think is that if people think they can be in many bubbles then the concept breaks down. modelling and communication needed to ensure people understand the rules. But certainly single person households, and couples in different houses should be able to attach to each other or another household.

  • Posted by Rainbowbright May 06, 2020 at 08:12

    100% agree with this and it should come in to force asap. Lonlieness kills and this can break relationships. A couple who do not live together but both live alone should be able to form a "virtual household" this would be much easier to implement than a social bubble (which is also a good idea but requires more though). They should be allowed to meet freely just as a married or cohabiting couple do.

  • Posted by Rhondamae May 06, 2020 at 08:30

    It is not satisfactory for people who live alone to be socially isolated.

  • Posted by JensenSL May 06, 2020 at 08:31

    Agreed, especially where the households are themselves quite self-isolating. Living alone has been extremely difficult during this lockdown.

  • Posted by lc73 May 06, 2020 at 09:09

    Single person bubbles should definitely be allowed. It can be difficult maintaining a 'distance' relationship at the best of times but I also have to support my elderly parents who live several hundred miles away & sometimes it can be very difficult and draining to provide emotional as well as practical support when you are not receiving any human contact.

  • Posted by Erica May 06, 2020 at 10:02

    I would like to be able to visit my partner who stays 70 miles away and he would like to visit me. We both have cars so would not need to use public transport. We haven't seen each other since the lockdown. We have both been observing the lockdown rules. We are both educated as scientists so have quite a good understanding of the situation and believe ourselves to be sensible. We would like to create a bubble. I don't see how this would be a problem unless we are unknowing carriers.

  • Posted by Jayli May 06, 2020 at 13:52

    I agree. My partner and I live 60 miles apart and have both followed the rules strictly, thus have not seen each other since lockdown began, other than by video call. We are both feeling isolated, lonely and struggling mentally. I don't see how being able to spend time with my partner in either his or my home, just the two of us, could be any more dangerous than couples who live together full time and also go out to the supermarket? Loneliness and good mental health do not go hand in hand ....

  • Posted by Jayli May 06, 2020 at 13:52

    This comment has been removed by a moderator.

  • Posted by SAM May 06, 2020 at 17:30

    I agree with this. Mental health is just as important as physical health. There's a risk/benefit analysis needed here.

  • Posted by as1 May 07, 2020 at 09:35

    I agree that allowing some social contact for people living alone should be a top priority when considering any relaxation of 'lockdown' restrictions.

  • Posted by JohnA May 07, 2020 at 13:46

    One way to ease the lockdown is to allow meetings of (no more than) 2 people. This has consistently been the case in the Netherlands. It may not come with a huge penalty in terms of transmission. This should also be an acceptable reason to travel.

  • Posted by JoyBruce May 07, 2020 at 14:34

    I hope this is considered seriously. My partner and I both live alone and have not seen each other now for 8 weeks. It is incredibly difficult. Joining our households to form a new bubble at weekends cannot be any riskier than for those living with others who are visiting shops, possibly still working etc.

  • Posted by JohntheHedge May 08, 2020 at 13:03

    The government should seriously consider allowing people who live alone to create bubbles with other people who are alone or allow them to connect with another household. It could improve the mental wellbeing of so many people - allowing them to more easily endure the lockdown.

  • Posted by Jemima May 08, 2020 at 19:07

    I agree with couples who live separately should be able to meet up and spend time together.

  • Posted by AyesandNoes May 08, 2020 at 21:17

    A neighbour of 88 lives alone in a rural area, she is very independent. No one has been inside her house since lockdown - including her cleaner. The nurse phones her to check on her. She has bad legs and struggles to get to the phone. At least in the good weather she can sit in her porch - alone. Is this any way to treat the elderly?

  • Posted by JustANumber May 09, 2020 at 10:36

    I'm a single person in a single household when I live in my home. The whole idea of a social bubble is a hopeless concept which defeats the concept of having a diverse and fulfilling life.

  • Posted by Pegger May 09, 2020 at 13:43

    YES. This would be the biggest positive change in my life. I like how the OP put it, including partners who live apart, but not excluding all the other lonely singles either. This could also be seen as a first, lowest-risk step towards relaxing rules on social contact. It seems reasonable to try this first, before going straight to social bubbles for everyone.

  • Posted by Jfmack May 10, 2020 at 08:10

    Single people households have been overlooked. From the beginning people in single households should have been able to nominate to become part of their own local family group. After all what difference is it to actually living together. It is way passed the time that this should have been corrected.

  • Posted by outdoorsy May 10, 2020 at 18:04

    Agree that if you live alone it is important to have social contact and I personally spend time with many friends and family on a one to one normally so with due consideration to hand washing and social distancing the risk is minimal.
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