London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Social gatherings over six to be banned in England

Social gatherings over six to be banned in England

Social gatherings of more than six people will be illegal in England from Monday - with some exemptions - amid a steep rise in coronavirus cases.

A new legal limit will ban larger groups meeting anywhere socially indoors or outdoors, No 10 said.

But it will not apply to schools, workplaces or Covid-secure weddings, funerals and organised team sports.

It will be enforced through a £100 fine if people fail to comply with police, doubling up to a maximum of £3,200.

Several exemptions apply to the new rules - which come into force on 14 September - with households and support bubbles bigger than six people unaffected.

A full list of exemptions will be published by the government later.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to deliver further details at a Downing Street news conference on Wednesday.

In a preview of his address, the PM said: "We need to act now to stop the virus spreading. So we are simplifying and strengthening the rules on social contact - making them easier to understand and for the police to enforce.

"It is absolutely critical that people now abide by these rules and remember the basics - washing your hands, covering your face, keeping space from others, and getting a test if you have symptoms."

No 10 said any group of seven or more people gathering anywhere "risks being dispersed by police or fined for non-compliance".

At-a-glance: What are the new rules?


* Social gatherings of more than six people in England will not be allowed in law from Monday 14 September

* The new rule applies to private homes, indoors and outdoors, and places such as bars and cafes

* The rule does not apply to schools and workplaces, or weddings, funerals and organised team sports

* A full list of exemptions is due to be published before the law changes

* People who ignore police could be fined £100 - doubling with each offence to a maximum of £3,200

The change applies to people in England of all ages, and to gatherings indoors and outdoors, in private homes, public outdoor spaces, and venues such as pubs and restaurants.

BBC political correspondent Nick Eardley pointed out that pubs and restaurants would be allowed to have more than six customers inside, but that the groups of six would have to be socially distant from each other.

The rationale behind allowing this, but not allowing larger groups of people inside other people's homes, is that businesses can only be open if they follow safety and hygiene measures set out by the government, he added.

The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are able to set their own coronavirus restrictions and, while largely implementing similar rules, have moved at their own pace during the pandemic.

Downing Street said Mr Johnson held a virtual roundtable with police forces last week, and heard officers wanted clearer rules and enforcement on social contact.

Previously, guidance in England allowed gatherings of up to six people from different households outdoors - or two households or any size, indoors or outdoors.



Ministers and government advisers earlier expressed concern over a "sharp rise" in cases and a "heartfelt" apology was issued following shortages in England's testing system.

Overall, there have been 8,396 new cases reported since Sunday - with 2,460 reported on Tuesday alone.

There were also 32 deaths reported, but these will not have been related to the most recent rise in cases.

Large gatherings 'greatest risk'


The rise in cases seen in recent days has caused alarm among ministers and their health advisers.

They believe the UK is at a critical point ahead of the onset of autumn and winter when respiratory viruses tend to thrive.

Close contact within homes remains the most common risk of transmission identified by contact tracers.

Clearly people living with an infected person are most at risk.

But, after that, the most common contact infected individuals have is with visitors to their household, according to data gathered by England's NHS Test and Trace service.

It is ahead of leisure venues, shops, workplaces and health and care settings.

Clearly large gatherings in homes - especially indoors, which is more likely to happen when the weather turns - present the greatest risk.

Ministers will also make it clear on Wednesday further restrictions will follow if the rise in infections is not curbed.

The UK government's chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, who No 10 said backed urgent action in England, has said Covid-19 rates are now rising, especially among people between the ages of 17 and 29.

He warned that if people stopped social distancing then "Covid comes back".


'Relaxed too much'


England's deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van Tam added: "People have relaxed too much. Now is the time for us to re-engage, and to realise that this is a continuing threat to us."

In Bolton, Greater Manchester, a local rise in cases led Health Secretary Matt Hancock to announce the immediate return of some lockdown measures on Tuesday.

Among the restrictions imposed on the town was a requirement for hospitality venues to only offer takeaway service and close to customers completely between 22:00 BST and 05:00.

It also became illegal for people in Bolton to socialise with those outside their own household in any setting, even outdoors.

Schools in Bolton will continue to teach pupils as usual, Bolton Council said, as its leader described how Covid-19 was "moving round the borough uncontrolled".

Meanwhile, a new public information campaign will be launched across the UK reminding people of the "basics" - washing their hands, covering their face and giving others space.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
×