What Is The '10 Friends And Family In Lockdown’ Method? Will It Be Introduced In The UK?

27 April 2020, 17:17

Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the nation after returning to work

Ministers across Europe are apparently considering implementing a ’10 friends’ rule when lockdown measures begin to be lifted.

Over a month into lockdown in the UK as the coronavirus battle continues, people are holding out for what the next steps will be and when social distancing measures could start to be relaxed.

One method said to be under discussion is a ’10 friends’ allowance for when it is considered safe for people to visit their friends and family.

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The solution would aim to ease the mental health effects strict lockdown measures are having on people while also limiting the spread of the virus.

What is the '10 friends and family' method and how would it work in lockdown?

As reported by the BBC, according to a memo leaked to local media, authorities in Belgium were considering permitting residents to gather up to 10 friends and/or family of their choice at weekends.

To limit the spread of possible infection, every member of the group of 10 would have to include the other nine in their top 10 too.

The change would expand people’s ‘social bubbles’ but visiting others outside of your ’top 10’ would be banned.

The strategy wasn’t included when Belgium announced its measures in easing lockdown this weekend, but other countries are said to be debating similar ideas.

Will the '10 friends and family' method be introduced in the UK to ease lockdown restrictions?

More than four weeks into lockdown the UK government are continuing to keep possible strategies of how social restrictions will be eased out of discussion.

The nation is growing more focused on finding an ‘end date’ to the measures currently in place, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the country on the day he returned to No. 10 that it’s too early to say when the public will have a little more freedom returned.

Because of this, the ’10 friends’ method is purely speculation, much like the other phases have so far been.

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