Lockdown measures have been instigated by Boris Johnson across the UK to curb the rampant spread of coronavirus, save lives and protect the NHS. There are just four exceptions permitting people to leave their homes. But are you allowed to see your partner during a lockdown?

On Monday evening, the British Prime Minister announced new sweeping lockdown measures.

The three measures introduced require:

• People must stay at home, except for shopping for essentials, exercise, medical need and caring responsibilities and travel to and from work.
• All non-essential shops and community spaces must shut.
• All gatherings of more than two people in public must stop.

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People who flout these rules face being fined £30 from Thursday.

Those who continue to disobey the rules will be hit with “significantly” higher penalties.

The figure was announced as confusion over whether lovers who live separately can meet with their partners during the crackdown.

Mr Johnson’s spokesman said couples should not see one another if they live in separate homes.

He acknowledged the confusion given that guidelines permit two people to gather in public.

However, the spokesman said: “We are working at pace and, as people raise these issues with us, we will get clarity for them as soon as possible.”

During the daily news conference on Tuesday, England’s Deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries warned against couples dividing their time between two households.

Dr Harries said: “The principle is that we want people to stay in their household units primarily.

“The reason for that is, if you have an infection you are very close with your family members so your risk of exposure to the virus is pretty similar usually across a family.

“We almost expect another member of a family to get that unless they are applying very very stringent precautions.

“So if you are two individuals, two halves of a couple and are in two separate households, ideally they should stay in those households.”

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Dr Harries added couples could opt to “test the strength” of their relationship by sharing a household.

She said: “The alternative might be that for quite a significant period going forward, they should test the strength of their relationship and decide if one wants to be a permanent resident in the other’s household.

“In which case, all of the decisions about exercising, if you are in, you should be on your own or within your household unit, would apply.

“The issue here is what we do not want is people switching in and out of households, it defeats the purpose of the reduction in social interactions and will allow for the transmission of disease.

“So perhaps test very carefully your strength of feeling, stay with the household whether together or apart, but keep it that way while we go forward because otherwise, we will not all be working towards achieving our outcome.”

As part of the government’s new lockdown rules, all weddings have now been cancelled as part of the move to stop public gatherings.

The government has said it is stopping all social events including “weddings, baptisms and other religious ceremonies.”

This rule excludes funerals, which can be attended by immediate family only.

One happy couple in Walsall managed to get married right under the wire and live-streamed their nuptials to 100 guests on Facebook on Saturday.

When will the lockdown end?

The lockdown will be reviewed after an initial period of three weeks.

From that time, it will either be extended or rolled back depending on how prolific the deadly virus is around the country.

The expectation is that there will be no significant lessening of the current rules until May or June at the earliest.

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