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People could be allowed to meet a small group of friends outdoors as part of the first relaxation of the UK’s Covid-19 lockdown rules, Downing Street has signalled.
Ahead of Boris Johnson’s major statement on his coronavirus exit strategy due this weekend, the prime minister’s official spokesman said that there was “clear” scientific evidence that the open air was safer than indoors for small gatherings.
No.10’s strongest hint yet on the idea came after Nicola Sturgeon published a new document setting out how a “bubble” of close friends or family members could meet up for the first time since the lockdown was imposed six weeks ago.
Scotland’s first minister said it could become possible to meet “with small defined groups” of people outdoors, ahead of any similar moves to allow indoor gatherings of such groups.
People who are more at risk from the virus would not be able to form a bubble from outside the household, under the Scottish plan. If anyone in the bubble developed coronavirus symptoms the rest of the group would have to self-isolate for 14 days.
Asked directly about the idea of outdoor meetings that would create a bubble of close friends, the PM’s spokesman said that such proposals were actively being discussed but the latest scientific advice was needed first.
“Broadly the scientific and medical experts have been clear that there is less likelihood of transmission of this disease outdoors than indoors. That will obviously be something we are considering as part of the review,” he said.
“We are looking at a range of possible easements to social distancing measures and we are also looking at if in some areas they need to be toughened.
“Once we have the scientific evidence and we have completed the review process, we will be able to set out what those are. You’ll have to wait until the work has been completed.”
Many Tory MPs view the friends and family approach to be a sensible first step towards other relaxations of the rules.
The Scottish government document published on Tuesday states: “We are considering if and how we could make changes to allow people to meet with a small number of others (the number is under consideration) outside their own household in a group or ‘bubble’ that acts as a single, self-contained unit, without connections to other households or ‘bubbles’,” the government document states.
“It is possible that this option would be introduced first for outdoor meetings, ahead of any change to permit indoor meetings of the bubble.”
Downing Street has also defended the prime minister’s decision to continue shaking hands early on in the pandemic, even though his government scientists warned against the idea on the day he boasted of the practice.
On March 3, Johnson told a press conference that he had shaken hands with “everybody” in a hospital a few days earlier. “And I continue to shake hands,” he said.
But it emerged on Tuesday that a sub-group of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said the same day that the government should “advise against greetings such as shaking hands and hugging, given existing evidence about the importance of hand hygiene”.
“A public message against shaking hands has additional value as a signal about the importance of hand hygiene,” the Independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B) said. “Promoting a replacement greeting or encouraging others to politely decline a proffered handshake may have benefit”.
He was seen shaking hands two days later with the television presenter Phillip Schofield, and then several days later with the boxer Anthony Joshua on 9 March at Westminster Abbey. Three weeks later, the PM had contracted Covid-19.
His spokesman said it was possible the PM had not seen the specific advice but stressed he had focused on the need for the public to wash their hands.
“He was very clear at the time that he was washing his hands very regularly and taking a number of steps to ensure that he limited the chances of passing or contracting the disease.
“In terms of the prime minister, I wouldn’t be able to say if he would ever have seen that document. In general in relation to the Sage papers they were being considered by Sage, they are not Sage’s final advice to ministers.”