SEX will tomorrow be banned in homes in North if you don't live together under new lockdown rules – but you CAN do it in a hotel.
People who live in Greater Manchester and East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire will from tomorrow be no longer allowed to gather in a group of two or more people inside a house.
New rules in parts of the North banned people from going into each other's homes.
But they were only signed into law this morning.
It says: "no person may participate in a gathering in the protected area which consists of two or more persons and takes place in a private dwelling, including a houseboat".
It added: "there is a 'gathering' when two or more people are present together in the same place in order to engage in any form of social interaction with each other, or to undertake any other activity with each other".
Anyone caught could risk a £100 fine.
However, the rules don't apply to meetings inside other places – such as hotels, hostels, campsites, or bed and breakfasts.
And they won't apply to people who are already in an extended bubble – for example people that live alone or single parents with kids under 18.
They are allowed to act as if they are in the same bubble as one other household – and don't need to stay apart.
Technically people who don't live together should be at least 2m apart at all times.
The other new rules which were confirmed today include:
- No gatherings of more than 30 people – unless it's a business, charity or visitor attractions
- Fines will go up to £3,200 for people getting a total of six offences in a row – and police can use reasonable force to make you comply
- No one is allowed to meet up in gardens as well as homes – classified as a private dwelling
- People living in the lockdown areas CAN drop their kids off to another household for childcare reasons if they are an accredited provider
- People living in the lockdown area can't have any gatherings outside their area either
- You can travel to a holiday home outside the lockdown areas but you can't meet up with people from outside your household while you're there
The first review of the new Northern lockdown will take place on August 19.
The rules will be looked at every two weeks to decide whether they can be lifted.
The Health Secretary can take out boroughs if he decides there's been an improvement in one area.
However, there are some exemptions to the news rules.
If a close family member of a friend is dying, they are permitted to visit another household, or if they are helping someone to give birth.
Other exemptions to the rule of having a gathering include:
- To help move house
- To provide care to a vulnerable person
- For kids to see their parents if they only live with one of them
- In an emergency
Where do the new rules apply to?
In Greater Manchester:
- The City of Manchester
- Trafford
- Stockport
- Oldham
- Bury
- Wigan
- Bolton
- Tameside
- Rochdale
- Salford
In Lancashire:
- Burnley
- Hyndburn
- Pendle & Rossendale
In West Yorkshire
- Calderdale
- Kirklees
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The Sun Says
WE get that planning and enforcing local lockdowns without warning is a challenge.
We don’t envy the Government ministers who have to work it all out.
But we can’t help noticing that issuing new guidance on top of the myriad of existing rules makes for confusion.
That’s not helped when the new laws are themselves filled with apparent inconsistencies.
In the guidance slapped on Manchester, for example, couples who don’t live together are banned from having sex in the comfort of their own homes, but are welcome to bonk the night away in a hotel.
We fully support local lockdowns and recognise the Herculean efforts being undertaken to control the virus, but we expect there’s only a handful of people in the country who understand exactly what they’re allowed to do and where. And even fewer who could explain why.
Clarity is crucial if we are to nip a feared second wave in the bud.
Let’s see some more of it.
Source: Read Full Article
