The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020

Qualifying groups

7.—(1) A person participates in a gathering as a member of a qualifying group only if the person is a part of a qualifying group and, whilst participating in the gathering, the person does not—

(a) become a member of any other group of people participating in the gathering (whether or not that group is a qualifying group), or

(b) otherwise mingle with any person who is participating in the gathering but is not a member of the same qualifying group as them.

(2) In sub-paragraph (1) “qualifying group”, in relation to a gathering, means—

(a) in the application of this paragraph for the purposes of indoor gatherings or outdoor gatherings in a place which does not satisfy the conditions in paragraph 2(4), a group of people who are participating in the gathering which consists only of persons who are—

(i) members of the same household,

(ii) members of two households which are linked households in relation to each other,

(iii) members of two households which are linked childcare households in relation to each other and the gathering is for the purposes of informal childcare provided by a member of one of those households to the other, or

(iv) members of no more than three households who are in a linked Christmas household in relation to each other and the gathering takes place during the Christmas period in a place of worship or a public outdoor place that satisfies the conditions in paragraph 4(27);

(b) in the application of this paragraph for the purposes of outdoor gatherings in a place which satisfies the conditions in paragraph 2(4), a group of people who are participating in that gathering and which—

(i) consists of no more than 6 persons, or

(ii) consists only of persons as mentioned in paragraph (a)(i) to (iv).