Festive household bubbles if you're on the shielding list

The safest way to enjoy the festive period is in your own home, with members of your own household, including your extended household if you have one. However, you can form a household 'bubble' between 23 and 27 December if you choose. You can do this even if you or someone in your family have been informed that you are at highest clinical risk from Covid-19.

Take time to think about what that means for you. Do not feel pressured to celebrate the festive season as part of a bubble if that makes you anxious.

Being part of a festive bubble can involve greater risks for you, as you would be increasing the number of people you have contact with.

Updated guidance around festive household bubbles

On 16 December the Scottish Government updated its guidance around festive bubbles.

You should:

• try to have only 2 households in your bubble
• only form 1 bubble
• have as few people in your bubble as possible, with a maximum of 8 adults
• try to meet up with your bubble for only 1 day
• avoid overnight stays if you can
• limit social contact with anyone outside your bubble before and after 23-27 December
• avoid travelling to and from level 3 and 4 areas

The number of people you can have in a bubble

Your bubble should have a maximum of 8 people over the age of 12. It can include any number of children aged 12 and under.

Try to keep your bubble to 2 households. The maximum is 3 households.

Talking to your friends and family

We recognise that many people may want to be with their friends and family over the festive period, particularly after an incredibly difficult year.

If you're considering meeting with your family during that time, you should start talking to them now to make sure you agree what precautions to take.

Before agreeing to form a festive household bubble, it's important that all of you carefully consider the risks to the person at highest risk.

What to consider

To help keep those at highest clinical risk safe, everyone in your bubble should agree what steps to take:

• in the run up to the festive bubble period
• during the period itself

You can use the checklist below to help you plan.

How to make an indoor festive season safer for someone at highest risk from coronavirus

What to do in the run up to this period

• Everyone in a festive household bubble needs to understand the increased risk to anyone they're meeting over the festive season who may have been shielding, or who is considered to be at highest risk of severe illness if they catch coronavirus.
• Plan all the details of how to maintain distance and serve food safely in your home.
• Let everyone know, in advance, what they will need to do to keep the whole group safe.
• Be extra vigilant in the days before you get together and reduce any unnecessary contact with people. Remember, some people with the virus have no symptoms.
• Ideally, all members of the bubble should reduce contacts to an absolute minimum for the 14 days before forming a bubble. This will minimise the risk of bringing the virus into the bubble
• Don't visit anyone, or have people round, if anyone in your household is feeling unwell.
• Anyone showing any coronavirus symptoms should get a test and their household should self-isolate for 14 days. They shouldn't join a festive household bubble.

What to do during the festive bubble period

The precautions below will help reduce the chance of infection. The more precautions you take the safer everyone will be.

These are especially important if everyone in the bubble hasn't been able to completely self-isolate in the run up to the festive bubble period.

• At all times maintain physical distance from those you don't normally live with.
• Everyone should wash their hands regularly.
• It's important to keep the rooms where you spend time with those you don't normally live with well ventilated. This means keeping windows or doors open for the whole time you're in the house together, and having as much air flowing through the rooms as possible.
• Make sure food and drinks are served individually and not passed around the group
• Avoid using shared items e.g. serving spoons
• Clean things people touch regularly, such as door handles, taps, toilet flushes and surfaces.
• Have hand sanitiser and disinfectant available for everyone to use.
• Think about who the people at risk are sitting next to, including during meals.
• Consider wearing a face covering indoors where social distancing may be difficult.
• Anyone showing any coronavirus symptoms should get a test and if possible isolate for 10 days. Everyone else in the festive bubble should self-isolate for 14 days.

If you do not want to be part of a festive household bubble

Just because you can be in a bubble, doesn't mean you have to be. Use your personal judgement and make the right choice for you.

If you do not feel comfortable spending time with other people indoors, think of other ways that you can make that time feel different and special.

There are other ways to safely spend time with your friends and family. For example going for walks or using technology.