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.
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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.”
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