How well do you know the latest lockdown rules? Take our test

Lockdown, as of today, has been very slightly loosened, which is good news for all the teenagers who spent last weekend drinking in the park together.

We are still required to “stay alert”, whatever that means, and in general things remain much closer to full lockdown than to the handshaking, food-sharing, Dionysian free-for-all in which we once lived.

But the main changes, at least for those who live in England rather under the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, are these. We may now assemble in outdoor gatherings numbering up to six; if we are shielding, we are permitted not only to go outside once a day, but to do it with one person from another household.

The government has published a summary here, though you might feel that you’ve got the gist of it – or, indeed, that your instincts will see you through.

If so, beware. As Boris Johnson warned, “there may be anomalies or apparent inconsistencies” in the updated guidance, and it remains a criminal offence to, say, invite people to a larger gathering such as a party.

So put your boombox down. Return the finger food to the fridge. Before you leave the house today, road-test your knowledge of the lockdown rules.

Start by answering these 10 questions...

1.  Your sister invites you to her garden, which is accessible only via her house. Are you allowed to go?

A. No: you may not pass through her house, even if it’s only briefly.
B. Yes: provided you go straight through without touching surfaces.
C. Yes. Stop and sit down if you like. Why not share a fondue?

2. The barbecue begins. What are the rules governing food-sharing?

A. If it’s on private property, you can do as you wish.
B. You must bring your own food and you must not eat it downwind of people outside your household.
C. You should not pass each other food and drink unless you live together, and you should not use plates or utensils that someone from another household has touched.

3. The garden party continues. You begin to need the loo. Fortunately, the government permits us to nip indoors… on what condition?

A. You wash your hands and wipe down all surfaces afterwards.
B. You limit yourself to a number one.
C. You (this applies mostly to male guests) sit down while using the lavatory.

4. Your elderly mother, who lives alone and is shielding, lives round the corner. She rings to ask whether she can come and join you in the garden. Thumbing your mental copy of the rules and regulations, you tell her…

A. Not on your nelly. Stay home, Mum.
B. Hell, why not? Come and have a drink, as long as you drop a vitamin C tablet in it.
C. She’s not allowed to join the throng, but she can go outside with one of you, provided you stay two metres from each other at all times.

5. You hear a man’s voice in the background of the phone call. It emerges that your mother has had a live-in lover since before lockdown. Does this affect your meet-up with her?

A. No, because the lover is part of the same household.
B. Yes: he has to come too.
C. Yes: the shielding rule change only applies to people who live alone.

6. Next door, a large barbecue is taking place. You hear the sizzle of sausages, the hubbub of a gardenful of guests, and then the sound of sirens. Busted! This is your neighbours’ first lockdown offence, but how big a fine will they each need to pay?

A. No fine – just a warning the first time.
B. £100 (reduced to £50 if it’s paid within 14 days).
C. £80 plus an additional £20 for every hour of lockdown-breaking activity.

7. Another phone call; this time it’s your son, a PhD student whose work examines whether fried chicken really is finger-lickin’ good. For hygiene purposes, his university has suspended the lab’s work, and the young man wants to come home. Can he?

A. Yes – it is permissible for a student to move back to the family home if it is for the duration of the emergency.
B. No – he must remain in place.
C. Yes – on the grounds that his course has been suspended.

8. The matter resolved, you return to the gathering. Your sister invites you to join her in her outdoor swimming pool. Is this within the rules?

A. Yes, because it’s outdoors.
B. No – you are not allowed to use private pools with people outside your household.
C. Sort of – it’s a grey area. Cowabunga!

9. Her husband suggests that you play tennis instead. In keeping with the rules, you…

A. Produce your own racquet from your bag rather than borrow someone else’s.
B. Refuse to play: sport is not yet allowed.
C. Gaily crack on, since coronaviruses cannot be transmitted on tennis courts.

10. Time to head home. But what about your chair?

A. You brought it with you for hygiene purposes, as recommended by the Government. You take it home again.
B. You make sure it’s left outside without being touched for 24 hours.
C. You make sure it’s wiped down with household cleaner once you’ve finished sitting on it.

Answers:

1, B; 2, C; 3, A; 4, C; 5, C; 6, B; 7, A; 8, B; 9, A; both 10A and 10C are acceptable.