Big legal changes to the lockdown laws starting tomorrow (Mon 29 March) as we move into "Step 1" of Steps Regulations.

Important new international travel rules - outlined in the linked thread

Big changes to what we can do socially, which I will explain below (thread) https://twitter.com/AdamWagner1/status/1374003219005911042

You can find the rules from tomorrow to "not before" 15 April in Schedule 1 to the Steps () regulations which is here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/364/schedule/1/made

The key thing to understand is that the "being outside home without a reasonable excuse" requirement will go.

What remains:
- Bans on gatherings "indoors" of 2 or more people
- "Outdoors" it's rule of 6 or two households
- Sports and childcare gatherings

Why does it matter that you can be outside for any reason regardless as to whether it is "reasonable"?

Because if you are in a permitted gathering (e.g. 2 households/six random people) that is lawful no matter what the reason, or where you have travelled to in England to gather.

The regulations are confusing as a lot of quite complicated exceptions and definitions but here are the basics:

"indoors" similar to now - 2+ people is a banned gathering unless it falls within an exception

Most common are 'same household' or 'linked households'(bubbles)

What is "indoors"

Here's where we get needlessly complicated

You have to go to the interpretation section ( https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/364/regulation/2/made)

Which refers to another law altogether! About smoking!

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/3368/regulation/2/made

This is it

So that means a tend is "indoors"

A gazebo where the open bit is more than half of the area of the walls would not be indoors

Here are a few gazebos which I think would be fine

Jewish people argue about this every Sukkot by the way (look it up)

This gazebo would, I think, be indoors as it looks like the opening is exactly half the area of the walls, it needs to be less!

Though you might argue the slats which can't be closed are in fact open

See you in court, gazebo!

Anyway, the important thing to understand is that whereas the current lockdown divides the world into "private dwellings" (which include gardens and balconies) and "outdoors", the new rules are about "indoors" and "outdoors"

So a garden or balcony is usually "outdoors"

You can do a lot more outdoors now than indoors.

Outdoors you can meet with 5 other people, six in total - no exception for children under 5

OR two households of any total number

But it has to be one or the other

Note that it can actually be four households if you have

Household A with their linked household (bubble) B
+
Household C with their linked household (bubble) D

Linked households are the same as before, here

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/364/regulation/3/made

Oh yes, go on https://twitter.com/AdamWagner1/status/1374002649125773312?s=20

Linked households explained in this thread https://twitter.com/AdamWagner1/status/1333439914936053762?s=20

There are lots of other exceptions to the gatherings rules many of which we have seen before:
Work, childcare, education, funerals, weddings, picketing, voting, sports gatherings (if organised eg at a sports centre) etc.

Read them here https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/364/schedule/1/made

Also protest is back outdoors https://twitter.com/AdamWagner1/status/1374005127636467724?s=20

A lot of people asking whether the 'stay local' 'rule' is still in place - the government seem to be briefing the press that it is
- This was only guidance anyway
- It is no longer even arguably part of the law
- People should follow guidance but the police cannot enforce it

Am popping out for a bit now, if you have questions post them below

Assignment until I am back: post me pictures of structures you think would be "outdoors" for the purpose of these regulations.