Written question asked by Julian Sturdy (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2020. It was answered by Nadine Dorries (Conservative) on Monday, 14 September 2020 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of whether it would be safe to amend Government covid-19 guidance applying to non-cohabiting couples in multiple-occupancy households to allow them to meet up without social distancing.

Answer: We recognise how hard the impact of COVID-19 has been on people's relationships with their loved ones. Since 4 July, Government guidance has allowed couples to meet both indoors and outdoors. Single-adult households are able to form a support bubble which allows for close contact as normal. The guidance on social distancing from people you do not live with is critical to controlling the spread of the virus and keeping people safe, but we recognise that this is particularly challenging for people who do not cohabit with their partners to comply with. We are looking closely at this issue at present.

Secondary information