Boris Johnson has freed millions of people to see lovers without social distancing as he announced the most significant loosening of lockdown restrictions yet, a mere nine days after sex was effectively illegalised in the UK.
From 13th June, two households in England will be able to form “support bubbles” allowing them to meet indoors and stay overnight together without measures such as the two-metre rule distancing rule applying for the first time in months - although one of the two households in the bubble must be either a single person living alone or a single parent with children.
The move nonetheless overturns controversial regulations banning all socialising indoors between people outside their “household bubbles”, which meant both an individual going inside another person’s home and the home-owner could be prosecuted for breaching lockdown. Previous rules didn’t include wording in respect of meeting in private places as the general message was to stay at home and avoid all but essential travel, but under the rules only those with reasonable excuses were allowed to meet privately indoors, which didn’t include meeting up to have sex.
The move is designed to help the UK's “many lonely or isolated people” struggling the most during the months-long lockdown. The plan announced does not allow two-parent families to form a support bubble with another similar family, meaning thousands of married couples struggling to hold down jobs, home-school and care for children will still have to go it alone. Households also cannot be in more than one bubble, meaning some agonising choices to be made.
Additionally, if any members of a bubble come down with coronavirus symptoms, all its members have to self-isolate for 14 days as per current advice.