Children allowed to accompany a parent on 'essential outings', confirms government

Until now, only single parents were able to take their kids with them, unless the other parent was at work in a 'permitted industry' authorised to open because it was providing an 'essential public service'.

Given that minors are not permitted to do the family shopping or pharmacy visits, this has meant that children and teenagers have literally been confined indoors since March 16 – adults have been able to leave home to go to the supermarket, tobacconist's, medical appointments, or to buy newspapers or pick up prescriptions, but as they are not permitted to be accompanied, children have not even been able to set foot outside the building.

They have only been allowed out for 'essential purchases' where they would otherwise be left at home alone, which is illegal when a child is aged 14 or less and, technically, not entirely legal if they are under 18.

Although they can now go with a parent or guardian to buy groceries and other essentials even if there is an adult at home who would be able to care for them, they are not allowed out 'for walks', and cannot use their bikes or skateboards.

Parks remain closed due to the risk of the virus being picked up from touching apparatus and from children being too near each other passing Covid-19 to each other.

Neither will they be allowed to meet up with their friends, but they can go with one parent when walking the dog, if they have one, subject to the continued limit of 250 metres from the family home and for the bare minimum length of time.

Child psychologists have been warning of behavioural and mental health problems in kids as a result of their total indoor confinement, leading the government to agreeing to their limited 'release'.

'Social distancing' measures must be adhered to, which is one of the reasons authorities have been reluctant, so far, to allow parents to take their children with them when they cannot avoid going out.

Especially with small kids, it can be very difficult to stop them running around or going near other people, or touching objects, or touching their own faces.

Also, it is nearly impossible to find masks and disposable gloves in children's sizes – in fact, even for adults, in most countries, these are not easy to come by.

They will have to put plastic 'fruit and veg' gloves on when going to the supermarket, even if these drown them, but it can be difficult for parents to stop small children taking these off whilst concentrating on shopping and on keeping their distance from other people.

And parents are ultimately responsible for their children until they are aged 18, meaning if a child or teenager 'breaks the rules', the parent or guardian with them, or whom they live with, could face fines.

Teenagers of 15, 16 and 17 years cannot accompany their parents to buy groceries and other essentials, although 'provided they are of a sufficient level of independence and maturity' to enable them to do so, according to the National Police, they are permitted to run these errands on their own.

Again, they cannot do so in company, and must go straight home as soon as they have finished.

The government says 'nobody has a stopwatch to police how long people spend buying a loaf of bread', but has appealed to 'common sense' – there is no legal limit on the time people spend running necessary errands, but cases have been reported of walkers attempting to 'prove they have been out to buy food' by showing till receipts that are over two hours old, leading to their being booked or even fined.