A support bubble is a close support network with another household. As the country goes back into lockdown this week, many people are lamenting the loss of certain freedoms and socialising opportunities. Support bubbles will be allowed to continue during the planned coronavirus lockdown which starts on Thursday, but how many bubbles can you have in total?
A support bubble is defined as a group of people with whom you have close physical contact.
In England, single adults living alone or single parents where their children are all under 18 are able to form support bubbles with one other household.
The second household can be of any size and include “at risk” persons.
Once in a bubble, you can consider yourself to be a single household including the people in the other household.
READ MORE: Support bubble: What is a support bubble? Can YOU have one?
You are allowed however to have a support bubble and a childcare bubble.
These bubbles do not need to include the same people.
The Government guidance reads: “Parents will still be able to access some registered childcare and other childcare activities (including wraparound care) where reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, or for the purposes of respite care.
“Early years settings can remain open.
“Parents are able to form a childcare bubble with another household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under.
“As above, some households will also be able to benefit from being in a support bubble, which allows single adult households to join another household.”
Can different support bubbles meet outdoors?
Support bubbles are not permitted to meet in open places.
New rules which come into effect on Thursday mean people are only permitted to meet one person outside of their household in a public outdoor place.
From November 1, you are also permitted to exercise with people in your support bubble or household.
This means support bubbles cannot meet others outside and all inside social mixing is banned.
