A national lockdown is upon us once more, but the next month doesn’t need to be a repeat of the spring. Sure, it’s winter, but we’ve done it once and we can do it again. This time, it may even be a little easier.
Community spirit has blossomed since March and there are local volunteer groups already re-vamping their efforts to help those who are most vulnerable.
The official government guidance also includes some new clauses designed to reduce the mental health impact of the first lockdown, some of which you might have missed.
We’re not saying the new guidelines are perfect, but instead of adding to the doom and gloom you’ll scroll through this week, we wanted to highlight some of the small print that offers a glimmer of positivity.
1. You can spend time with your support bubble
A huge difference from the first lockdown is that support bubbles will be allowed to continue. Support bubbles – allowing anyone who lives alone to ‘bubble’ with another household – were not introduced until June in England, meaning thousands of people who live alone were isolated at the peak of lockdown.
This time, you can visit your support bubble if you live alone and can even stay overnight at any point during lockdown.
2. You can exercise with a friend outdoors
Remember when we were only allowed outside for essential shopping and one hour of exercise per day? Well that time limit has now been removed – and you no longer have to do it solo.
The new rules say that when on your own, you’re allowed to meet one person outside from another household. This means going for a walk or run with your pal is on the cards. It’s great for motivation, but also for those who don’t feel comfortable exercising alone during dark evenings.
3. You can sit down!
Another strange memory from the first lockdown was eyeing up park benches during a daily walk and wondering if the covid police would penalise you for loitering. We weren’t even able to sit on the grass in those early weeks.
Now, sitting is officially allowed, because you’re permitted to socialise outdoors with one person for “recreational” activities, even if you’re not exercising
“Examples of recreation include meeting a friend in the park for a walk or to sit on a bench and eat a sandwich,” the guidelines state.
4. Takeaway beers are here
After some fierce campaigning from the pub industry, the government has u-turned to allow pubs to sell takeaway alcoholic drinks.
The new rules state customers must pre-order their drink online, or by phone or post, which can be collected as long as they do not enter a premises.
The rule will help communities to support their local during another difficult period of closure and stop all that delicious beer from going down the drain. Plus nothing beats a proper pint.
5. Public loos will remain open
Public toilets are listed among the places that can stay open during lockdown, which will no doubt be a relief to those who rely on them, particularly people with chronic illnesses, the homeless and parents with young children.
6. There’s more support for parents
Perhaps the biggest change of the second lockdown is the fact that schools – as it currently stands – will remain open. While the decision hasn’t been popular with many teacher unions, it’s been welcomed by many parents who struggled working from home with kids last time around.
Since the first national lockdown, the government has also introduced “childcare bubbles’, allowing parents to form a bubble with another household (such as grandparents) for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under. If you’re a single parent living with children who are under 18, you can also now form a support bubble with another household other than the one that includes your child’s other parent.
And if you’re a parent meeting a friend of family member outside, you can take children below school-age with you, as they do not count within the two-person rule. Those who need round-the-clock care, such as older children with disabilities, are also exempt from the rule.