According to government "guidance" we should all be avoiding unnecessary contact outside our family or "bubble". That's a biologically sound argument but what exactly is "the law" and what's actually happening? It's not clear to me what the law is. If you wish to follow the nerdy legal path, start with
The Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020
The quotes below are from the Official guidance
here and
more here.
- "when you are outside you can continue to meet in groups of up to six people from different households, following social distancing guidelines"
- "It will be against the law to gather in groups larger than 30 people, except for a limited set of circumstances to be set out in law"
- "gather outdoors in a group of more than six people from different households; gatherings larger than 6 should only take place if everyone is from just two households"
- "Gatherings of more than 30 people will be prohibited, apart from some limited circumstances to be set out in law."
- "From 4 July, you can continue to meet in a group of up to six people from multiple households, or in a group made up of two households (your support bubble counts as one household), even if this is more than six people."
- "You are allowed to meet in groups of either: up to 6 people from different households outdoors or any number if everyone is a member of your own household or a member of your support bubble"
- "You must not meet in a group of more than 6 with people you do not live with or who are not in your support bubble unless one of the other limited exceptions as set out in law apply. This is prohibited in law. The relevant authorities, including the police, have the powers to enforce the law – including through fines and dispersing gatherings."
- "You can travel to outdoor open space irrespective of distance, as long as you can return the same night and do not put others at risk because of services you may need in the time you are away. You should continue to avoid using public transport and should cycle, walk or drive wherever possible."
There are some language issues affecting the internal consistency of this guidance but two numbers stand out as being significant: 6 and 30.
It is clear to me that gatherings up to 6 are fine by pretty much any reading. Gatherings larger than 30 might be illegal. (It's not clear whether there is such a law but the suggestion is that there might be)
Gatherings between 6 and 30. Fine if only two families involved, might be illegal otherwise.
Today I visited my local Tesco where, despite them having got the whole social distancing thing done properly right from the start, I came within 1 metre of considerably more than 6 people, from several different families, indoors. As far as I'm aware, neither I nor anyone else in the store was breaking the law and, if we were, there is precious little chance of any of us being prosecuted.
On 4th July most of the pubs will be open. Any pub not able to attract a group of 30 won't have much of a future.
I don't think we should be "organising a party" but if I go for fish and chips by the seafront and see others I know I'll probably condescend to talk to them, from 2 metres away.