Firstly can I say that I sympathise with your position. I work nationwide as a construction site supervisor. Construction has been allowed to operate through all phases of lockdown to date, and has mostly done so at full pace. This meant that last week, I was expected to travel to two sites in south Wales, one of which is about 20 miles away from where my parents live. That's the same parents that I was not legally permitted to visit at Christmas (and given their age and state of health, I would not really have been comfortable doing so anyway).
I know the risk of catching and spreading Covid whilst working outdoors, with people typically of middle age and younger and having minimal close contact is less than that which would result from spending time in a living room or around a dining table with people who are more clinically vulnerable. But it still hurts.
But to answer your question. Your legal position is academic, quite frankly. The chances of you getting stopped by the police whilst travelling are remote and if you explain that you work nationwide on Naval bases, that will probably be enough of an answer. Once you are inside your partner's house, the police have no powers of entry so can't do anything to make you leave.
(And to those of you who have commented about walking dogs, the same really applies. Provided that you're not in a large group of other dog walkers, the police aren't going to know or care how many times you have already been out walking the dog that day.)
The more important question, in my view, is what is the right thing to do?
If you do travel around the country for work, and therefore out of necessity stop in public places such as motorway services, petrol stations, supermarkets etc), and stay in accommodation that isn't your own home, there is a higher risk of you catching Covid than if you worked from home and had minimal contact with others. That's a simple fact. You haven't said what your partner does for work, but if she works in a public place (hospital, school, supermarket etc) and if she were to catch the virus from you and then unknowingly spread it to her colleagues ... well, you can see where I'm going with this.
It's really down to you both to work out what the risks and consequences are, and balance these against how essential it is for you to make that journey. If (for instance) one of you has mental health issues and this means that you really do have to see each other, then go ahead, do so and I won't judge you.
But if that isn't the case, my respectful suggestion would be to stay away and talk to each other by phone, Zoom, Facetime or however for what will be only a few more short weeks. There is an end in sight to this madness now. By April, they will have vaccinated everyone who is most likely to get seriously ill from Covid if they catch it, which can only mean that existing travel and socialising restrictions will begin to be lifted by then if not sooner.
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
Andy, if you’re working on a naval base could you not get a letter from your employer to say you’re an essential worker ? I have a friend working at Rosyth who has such a letter. That would at least part satisfy the police if you were to be stopped.
I’m not sure if crossing the border is your dilemma but as SamandRose said, I would give that very careful thought. Allowed as travelling for work but perhaps not the best thing to do ?
------------- Zymocenosilicaphobia-excessive fear of an empty beer glass
' When I die, I will return to seek the moments I did not live by the sea'
Thanks both for your clear and well explained reply's.
Yes I can confirm I have paperwork to travel and cross Borders in and out of Scotland/England & switch between sites, however typically that's on the opposite side of the country as to where she's based and I've never been tempted to abuse it for personal reasons and risk taking the virus around the country.
I can also officially wave the mental health subject with her, and to make matters far worse her mother has been admitted to hospital today with C-19 who lives down south, obviously neither of us can visit her legally but if things progress I will head over to support her it goes without saying.
It's a really bad time for family's right now particularly those living apart, terrible
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Topic: Support Bubble - long distance couples
via mobile 11/1/2021 at 10:46pm
