How do bubbles work

You should follow the guidance on how to stop the spread of coronavirus , even if you feel well. This is particularly important if you have formed a support bubble. Not everybody can form a support bubble. It is against the law to form a support bubble if you are not eligible. All members of your household must be part of the same bubble.

This means you and the people you live with cannot form separate bubbles, even if you meet more than one of the eligibility rules above. You must not form a support bubble with a household that is part of another support bubble.

Your support bubble cannot include more than 2 households. All members of both households must agree to this arrangement. Children who live with a parent or someone with parental responsibility are not required to agree to the support bubble arrangement. You do not need to form a support bubble or childcare bubble to do this. A support bubble is different from a childcare bubble. A childcare bubble allows you to link with another household to provide childcare for children under Being in a support bubble does not stop you from forming a childcare bubble.

Your support and childcare bubble do not have to be with the same household. You and your support bubble count as one household in the 2 household rule. This means you can meet indoors with your support and childcare bubbles at the same time, as part of the 2 household rule. People can continue to meet in groups larger than 6 people or 2 households indoors where this is reasonably necessary for:. You are not required to form a support bubble to provide these types of care, or carry out these activities.

However, you should limit close contact with others as much as possible when doing so, particularly if helping someone who is more vulnerable to coronavirus. Guidance on close contact with family and friends has been updated, with a greater emphasis on personal responsibility. From 17 May, close contact with friends and family will be a personal choice, but you are encouraged to exercise caution.

You should consider the guidance on risks associated with COVID and actions you can take to help keep you and your loved ones safe. See guidance on meeting friends and family. You should also take other precautions such as washing your hands and opening windows to let fresh air in. This will help limit the risks of spreading coronavirus.

You should follow the guidance on how to stop the spread of coronavirus. Where possible, you should avoid changing your support bubble. This will help prevent spreading the virus between households. You may change your support bubble if necessary — for example, if your circumstances or those of your existing support bubble change. Tamariki can travel between their parents' or caregivers' homes under a shared custody arrangement — inc luding between an Alert Level 3 and Alert Level 2 area.

Parents or caregivers can accompany their tamariki to and from the home of the other parent or caregiver. If tamariki are travelling for a shared parenting arrangement, they do not need proof of travel. Travel across the Alert Level 3 and Alert Level 2 boundary. If you need to go to work and you have no other available options for childcare, you can apply for an exemption to bring in a carer from an Alert Level 2 area.

Exemptions are only granted on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed. You can apply through the Ministry of Health. Apply for an exemption external link. You must keep your household bubble as small as possible. Only make physical contact with those in your bubble. If you live alone, you may arrange with another person living alone or a household to be part of your household bubble.

This arrangement must be exclusive between you and the other household. Events, including family and social gatherings cannot go ahead. This includes parties, funerals and tangihanga, and weddings. Wellbeing helplines and support. During Alert Level 4, tamariki children can continue to go between 2 homes to form a shared bubble if their parents or caregivers have a:.

Your shared bubble can include 2 households at most, and the other household must be in the same or adjacent district. If you are working for an Alert Level 4 business or service and you have no available options for childcare, you can extend your household bubble to include a carer for your children. The carer can leave their home to provide childcare for your children. The carer cannot join another household bubble. Shared custody and childcare at Alert Level 4.

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In the current lockdown in Victoria, the germ bubble is restricted to people in our immediate household. This increases loneliness and has a large impact on mental health. And, understandably, it has left many single people and people from differing family structures frustrated.

The bubble idea tries to overcome this by allowing people to have close contact with a very defined and exclusive group. Its bubble extension was a compassionate solution to the mental health effects of strict lockdowns. Read more: The loneliness of social isolation can affect your brain and raise dementia risk in older adults.

Socially, our important connections are complex and culturally diverse. Our understanding of who is family includes blended families, step-family members, partners, lovers and close friends — all of whom may not share our dwelling. Nominating members into a compassionate germ bubble may benefit the community in the long run as we move in and out of lockdown. A bubble approach was also used in the UK when easing restrictions in June, allowing single-person households to form a bubble with one multi-person household.

The advantages of a compassionate approach to mental well-being must be weighed against any infection transmission disadvantages. If a bubble system was to be implemented anywhere in Australia, a formalised process for joining a germ bubble would be needed.

The maximum number of people allowed in any single bubble would also have to be limited.