New coronavirus guidelines: what they mean for you, your family and your friends

With the changing coronavirus situation, measures to tackle the virus are evolving all the time. Here the UK Government answers your questions about the updated restrictions in England

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Can I travel to an area in a medium risk area to meet friends who live there for dinner at their house or in a restaurant? There would be four of us in total. I live in a high risk area. 

No. You essentially take the level you live in with you – and all the rules of the level where you live apply even if you go into a lower level. So, in this scenario, you could only meet that group of friends and eat with them outdoors. It is only if you all live in a medium risk area that you can eat in a group of six indoors, either at a restaurant or a private home. The advice would be different if you or your friends lived in a very high risk area as you are not advised to travel in and out of very high alert areas aside from for work, education, youth services or caring purposes.

My son is in university campus accommodation with seven others who share a living room, kitchen and bathrooms but have their own bedrooms. Is this OK?

Your son and his friends likely constitute a household, so they can continue to gather together, but would not be able to socialise with another person as a household.

Students in share accommodation constitute a household (Getty Images/Maskot)

We are a family of six and my elderly parents live with us. My mother now needs a carer – which will make us seven. Is this allowed?

Yes, this is allowed as a paid carer is classified as a worker. Where a group includes someone who is working, they are not counted as part of the gatherings limit

I was at a pub last week and have been contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service to say someone has tested positive for Covid-19. I have been in my office since the pub visit and am nervous of telling my employer – will the whole office have to go into quarantine if I tell them?

You must self-isolate straight away if notified by NHS Test and Trace. You will need to self-isolate for 14 days from the date of contact. You should notify your employer that you have been asked to self-isolate. People you work with do not need to self-isolate unless they have also been notified by the NHS Test and Trace service and asked to do so.

My children are starting to come home from school with snuffles and sore throats, but not fevers or coughs. Do I need to get them tested every time they complain of having a cold?

You should get your child tested if they develop one of the three main symptoms of coronavirus: a high temperature, a new continuous cough, a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste.

You only need to get your child tested if they develop one of the three main symptoms of coronavirus (Getty Images)

Pre-Covid I hosted art classes in our village hall. Can I start them again if the village hall says it is Covid-19 secure?

You are responsible for collecting individuals contact details and displaying a QR code for people to check-in digitally if they prefer. They are not legally required to provide these but as the hirer of a designated venue in scope of the requirements you are legally required to ask.  

There can be multiple groups of six people in one place, provided that those groups do not mingle. In practice, however, this will make it difficult for some activities to take place without breaking the law, such as extended tour groups, large banquet dinners, society or club meetings and amateur music or drama rehearsals

I am a pensioner and am feeling very lonely. A social group I was previously part of has started meeting for dinners in small groups in restaurants. Would I be safe to join them?

If you live in a medium risk area you are allowed to join small groups in restaurants, either indoors or outdoors, as long as the number doesn’t exceed six. If you live in a high or very high risk areas you can meet in groups of up to six people outdoors, in some settings, and only one household indoors. Single households or support bubbles of more than six are still able to gather together. 

Can my church continue to run socially distant services and social events for more than six people?

They can host more than six people in total, but no one should visit in a group of greater than six (unless you are all from the same household or support bubble). You must avoid mingling with anyone outside your group and should provide your contact details to the organiser so that you can be contacted if needed by the NHS Test and Trace programme.

Can I book two tables of six in a restaurant so we can talk to each other but not gather at each other’s tables?

No. Talking across two tables of six would involve forming a larger gathering or mingling,  which would be against the law.

You can take part in yoga but In very high risk areas it will have to be outside (Getty Images)

Can my local gym put on a yoga class for more than six people? And can I continue to play in my netball team?

Indoor sport can only take place if the general gathering rules in that area are complied with. For example, in medium risk areas, groups of up to six (or a household or bubble) can participate in indoor sport but they must not mix with other groups (or households or bubbles).

In a high or very high risk areas, individual households or bubbles can participate in indoor sport but must not mix with other households or bubbles. Disabled indoor sport and supervised sports for children are exempt from these restrictions. 

Outdoor sports can continue to take place with more than six people if they are organised by a company or other recognised body, and where this body undertakes the relevant precautions. 

Yes, you can continue to take part in sport or fitness activity organised by a company or other recognised body, or licensed outdoor activity in groups of more than six. This can be in any public place – indoors or outdoors – or a private outdoor space such as a garden – but it is not permitted inside a private home. In very high risk areas these sport activities could only take place outdoors.

These answers set out general coronavirus guidance for England. To check if you live in an area with additional local restrictions, go to gov.uk/coronavirus. There is further Government guidance on meeting with others safely and more information at Coronavirus outbreak FAQs: what you can and can't do.