Let’s Review England’s Very Confusing Coronavirus Sex Rules

Couples living apart will have to resort to outdoor hookups again as parts of the country tighten COVID-19 restrictions

coronavirus mask sex
Some couples in England will no longer be able to spend the night together.
Getty Images/iStockphoto

Earlier this year, we reported that the U.K. government appeared to encourage citizens to have sex outside after implementing a law banning any indoor gatherings in which “two or more people are present together in the same place in order to engage in any form of social interaction with each other.”

Months later, it seems non-cohabiting partners in some parts of England will be forced to take their amorous activities outdoors, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a ban on “household mixing,” prohibiting people living in separate homes from meeting together indoors.

The crackdown will affect citizens in Essex and London, where “Tier 2” COVID-19 restrictions are expected to take effect tonight, according to the Evening Standard. At a press briefing today, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister made it clear that no exception to the household mixing ban would be provided to romantic partners living apart.

“The rules on household mixing in Tier 2 set out that you should mix with your own household only unless you’ve formed a support bubble and that obviously does apply to some couples,” the spokesperson told reporters.

“The purpose of the measures that were put in place is to break the chain in transmission between households and the scientific advice is there is greater transmission of the virus indoors,” he added in response to reporters inquiring why no exception could be made for couples.

On the bright side, however, the Prime Minister did give those couples the green light to meet outdoors, stating that the restrictions only apply to indoor gatherings.

Those outdoor romps will probably be a bit less fun for Brits than they were when such restrictions were first put in place back in June, so congrats to the many couples who have probably just moved in together to avoid outdoor sex in late October. I’m sure this will go really well for everyone.

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