New rules in force from today make it illegal to have sex at home with someone who you don't live with.

This is what you need to know.

What do the new rules mean?

The rules mean that people in England are not allowed to socialise with anyone in a private, indoor space with anyone they do not live with.

Previously, a person visiting someone's home for sex would have been the one in breach of the measures - but the rule change now means that both people would be breaking the law.

What about public places?

It is already illegal to have sex in a public place, and the rules surrounding this remain unchanged.

Who does the ban not apply to?

The new legislation doesn't apply to the following people;

  • Sports professionals
  • People attending funerals
  • Vulnerable persons fleeing a risk of violence
  • Carers
  • Those with unavoidable work commitments
  • Those moving home
  • Those people who need to get medical assistance

Further guidance on those attending funerals of a loved one

Those attending a funeral of a loved one are allowed to stay overnight, but this must be a member of the deceased person’s household, or a close family member of the deceased person.

What about athletes?

Athletes will be able to stay in a different location to their own homes if they are training for a competition. That rule applies to coaches, elite athletes, and their parents.

What other changes have the UK Government done?

Over the weekend, the UK Government updated shielding guidance for the nation's most vulnerable people.

The change allows more than two million people across England to emerge from their homes for the first time in ten weeks.

Those with cancer, liver disease and severe asthma, who have been self-isolating from the virus for many weeks, were informed by text message.

The Shielded Patients List (SPL) was put in place to help the most vulnerable during the pandemic, but some people have now been informed they are no longer on the list - without being told by their doctors first.