A father-of-five who works as a full-time carer for his wife has revealed how his family have been cut off from meeting others due to the rule of six and has slammed the government for not considering the effect of the the latest lockdown rules on bigger families.
Joe Campbell, 32, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire says his family-of-seven have effectively been stopped from seeing anyone from outside their household due to the new law which stops more than six people meeting up at once.
The family had already limited their social lives, as Joe’s wife Kerry, 35, suffers from chronic pancreatitis and fibromyalgia, which means that she is at a high risk of having serious side effects of Covid-19.
Joe Campbell, 32, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire says his family-of-seven have effectively been stopped from seeing anyone from outside their household due to the new law which stops more than six people meeting up at once. Joe is pictured with his wife Kerry, 35, and daughters Faith, 16, Ellie, 15, Madison, 14, Izzobella, 9, and Imogen, 8
But the new ruling means the family are unable to meet anyone as a group, causing Joe to question why people can meet in pubs but not each others houses.
While larger families can still live together, the restrictions mean that nobody else can visit the family at home, and stops them from meeting up with anyone else as a family.
This means Kerry’s mum is unable to visit, and the couple’s five daughters , Faith, 16, Ellie, 15, Madison, 14, Izzobella, 9, and Imogen, 8, aren’t able to have friends over.
Joe said: ‘I can understand it to some extent, but I think their priorities are wrong. I don’t know why they are heavily restricting how many people you can meet in your home while keeping pubs open.
The family had already limited their social lives, as Joe’s wife Kerry, 35, suffers from chronic pancreatitis and fibromyalgia, which means that she is at a high risk of having serious side effects of Covid-19. Joe is pictured with his daughters
‘Surely you are more at risk by going to to the pub than having one member of your family visiting your home?
‘We don’t get that many people round at the moment because my wife is quite ill, but her mother often visits, as well as my daughters’ friends.
‘But with this new law, nobody can visit at all, which I think is unfair to bigger families.
‘I completely understand how scary the coronavirus is, we have been wearing masks and following social distancing throughout. But I just don’t think enough thought has been put into this.
The new ruling means the family are unable to meet anyone as a group, causing Joe to question why people can meet in pubs but not each others houses. He says his daughters (pictured) are unable to have friends round
‘We have looked into it and we are exempt if we are out as a group of seven because we are all from the same household, but I can imagine we will still get some looks and possibly even people reporting us when they see us.
‘It won’t matter too much, because we can prove we’re a family of seven, but it just adds an extra hassle onto our lives.
‘Since the rule has been in place, I have seen people outwardly not following it, with people from multiple households still meeting up, and it just makes the situation even more frustrating.’
The restrictions have also had a big impact on Joe’s daughters.
Joe also thinks that people need to do what they can to avoid a second wave as bad as the first one. He is pictured on his wedding day
He said: ‘The younger ones have been really confused by it all, they know the basics and have taken it in their stride, but when they keep changing the rules it doesn’t help things.
‘The teenagers have been struggled the most through it all. Faith is looking for work, which is hard coming out of the pandemic.
‘But Ellie and Madison have also struggled, they can’t see their friends as often with the restrictions, and it’s not always possible for them to see them elsewhere.
‘With my wife having chronic pancreatitis and fibromyalgia, we have had to be very careful anyway, but being able to occasionally see family and friends has made it bearable for us.
‘I am a full-time carer for my wife, but through the pandemic I have had to keep on top of things even more, ensuring the house is frequently sanitised and reducing the risk of Covid coming into the house.
Joe, pictured in the car with his five daughters, has slammed the government for their decision to cut off at six
‘If we could have even one person or household that we could choose as a social bubble that could come round, it would make a massive difference.
‘I understand why it has been done, but it has had a major impact on bigger families that I don’t think they have considered.’
Joe also thinks that people need to do what they can to avoid a second wave as bad as the first one.
‘I think we all know a second wave is coming, and it’s largely down to people that have not been following the rules at all.
‘But I think part of that is because of the lack of clarity set out by the guidance. People hear the word guidance and think it’s optional, and the government need to be as clear as they were during lockdown for people to follow it.
‘If everyone follows the rules and sticks to social distancing, we can reduce the impact of a second wave, but we all need to work together for that to happen.’