It has been announced that from next week, people will be allowed to meet in private gardens with friends and family from a separate household, in groups of up to six in England and up to eight in Scotland.

The new measure is a big change from the current rules, that allow people to meet one other person, outside of their home, as long as social distancing is adhered to.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said the new measure was a part of a “limited and cautious” approach to the coronavirus pandemic, in order to prevent a second wave of positive cases.

The new measure is part of an easing of rules, that will allow people in England and Scotland to meet a group of friends or family outside.

During his press conference on Thursday, Mr Johnson said that the five tests needed to move onto the next lockdown phase have been met: “The result is we can move forward with adjusting the lockdown on Monday,” he said.

What are the new rules around meeting friends in gardens in England?

From Monday 1 June, people will be allowed to meet friends and family from outside their household in a garden in groups of up of six, as long as everyone adheres to social distancing guidelines.

People will not be allowed to go inside someone else’s house, unless they have to in order to access the garden.

The use of toilets is permitted as long as hands are washed thoroughly and surfaces are wiped down.

The prime minister confirmed that barbecues will be allowed, as long as social distancing is adhered to.

Mr Johnson suggested that people should not attempt to meet groups of people from multiple different households in quick succession.

However, if someone is currently shielding because of a health condition, they should continue doing so.

Despite the easing on restrictions, Mr Johnson confirmed people will not be able to stay the night at another person’s house, even if they sleep outside in a tent.

“We don’t want people to stay overnight, we don’t want people to go to other households and stay there, I’m just afraid we’re not at that stage,” he said at the press conference on Thursday.

“What you certainly can imagine is there could be meetings of families in a garden, you could even have a barbecue provided you did it in a socially-distanced way, provided everyone washes their hands, provided everybody exercises common sense,” the prime minister added.

What are the new rules around meeting friends in gardens in Scotland?

In Scotland, the rules are slightly different, as they allow for people to meet with a separate household, in a garden, in groups of up to eight people.

On Thursday, Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon said that the new measure will begin on Friday 29 May.

She advised that people only meet one other household in a day and confirmed that food and drink should not be shared at a gathering.

People are allowed to eat, but they should bring their own food and cutlery, and are advised to use hand sanitiser before and after eating.

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