Married mum-of-four 'can't meet anyone' under new rule of six

Alison Keen will only be able to meet with her own family because she has a husband and four children under new rules in England

A married mum-of-four says she won't be able to meet anyone under the new rule of six to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

Alison Keen had planned a party for her 40th birthday on September 21, but that had to be postponed until next year when the UK went into lockdown.

Instead, she planned a gathering with her parents who live in Birmingham, the BBC reported.

However, the rule that no more than six can mix - which came into effect today across England - means she, her husband and kids cannot meet anyone as a family group.

"I can't meet up with anyone just because I've got kids," said Mrs Keen, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, an area not subject to further local restrictions.

"Mum's upset that she can't see me on my birthday and really annoyed that she could have come to see the kids last week, but not next week."

Mrs Keen said allowing her children, between six and 11, to go back to school but not have family gatherings "seems daft".

But, as of tomorrow, her parents will be among hundreds of thousands of residents under new local restrictions affecting Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull.

If you live in the affected areas, the Government says you should not host people you don't live with in your home or garden, unless they are in your support bubble.

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You also can't meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of the affected areas, unless they are in your support bubble.

A support bubble is where a household with one adult joins with another household (on an exclusive basis). Households within a bubble can still visit each other, stay overnight and visit public places together.

Once you make a support bubble, you should not change who is in your bubble.

The Government has said you should not meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of the affected areas, unless they’re in your support bubble.

But you CAN meet another household in the pub or a restaurant, in a park or in the street, as long as you stick to the national guidelines, including the "rule of six" that came into force today.