Coronavirus lockdown: Allowing family gatherings in England 'complicated' - BBC News
England's deputy chief medical officer says allowing families to mix is an "important public health issue".
Allowing family gatherings is an "important public health issue", England's deputy chief medical officer has said - but it is "complicated" to make the rules fair.

Dr Jenny Harries said such a move could provide a "mental health boost".

But she said if two large families wanted to meet "you end up effectively with quite a large gathering".

Some lockdown measures have been eased in England but restrictions on how many people you can meet remain in place.

Two people from different households can meet in outdoor settings, such as parks - as long as they stay more than two metres apart.

But any larger meetings between different households at the same time are currently banned. The UK government has said this means someone cannot see both parents at the same time.

At the daily No 10 briefing earlier, Dr Harries was asked whether this could be expanded to allow different households to meet as "bubbles" or "clusters".

She said such a move would be particularly beneficial to those "who have been on their own or who are isolated from others".

But she added that any such step had to be "fair" and "consistent with public health advice".

"So for example if you have families with large numbers already in their families who want to meet up, you end up effectively with quite a large gathering even if it's just two families meeting.

"I think it's really important that we think through the implications of that, particularly across families in different circumstances. If your family is a long way away, for example, you may be less able to do that."

Understandably meeting up with family is something we miss dearly.

The government has tried to offer some flexibility in England by allowing people to meet outside in twos where the risk of infection is low because of the ability to keep your distance and the fact you are in the fresh air.

But, of course, that is not the same as having people round for a Sunday lunch or visiting relatives for a weekend.

The problem the government and its advisers face is that the risk coronavirus presents differs hugely depending if you are the grandparent or grandchild.

The average 80-year-old has a nearly one in 10 chance of dying if they are infected, whereas for children the risk is virtually zero.

It's not just about individual risk either. A spike in infections among older people would overwhelm the health service. Around a quarter of people over 70 who are infected need hospital treatment.

Family gatherings, involving multiple generations, where people are in close proximity, are simply too dangerous until we know more about the virus and who in particular among the older generations - and younger people with health conditions for that matter - is most at risk.

Meanwhile, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick defended the government's decision to allow potential home buyers to view properties in England. The property markets in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland remain shut.

Speaking at Wednesday's briefing, he said he had been asked why the government would allow people to "look around a stranger's home but not visit their loved ones or parents".

Mr Jenrick said he understood "why this can seem confusing at first glance" but said estate agents must follow new guidelines during viewings. These include:

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "This may seem confusing at first glance especially when people have been separated from their loved ones for so long" - Jenrick

It is estimated there are 450,000 buyers and renters with plans on hold.

Property website Zoopla previously estimated that about 373,000 property sales had been put on hold during lockdown - with a total value of £82bn.

Mr Jenrick added that it was "essential that we cautiously open up parts of our economy where it's safe to do so".

His call came as the number of people who have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK has reached 33,186, a rise of 494 on the previous day.