I completely appreciate that concern that the ongoing coronavirus situation is causing to families such as your own. As you will know, the Government’s guidance is that you must stay in your home. That is because the Government wants to minimise movement between home as far as possible in order to slow the spread of the virus, protect our NHS and save lives.

That said, the Government has said that children under 18 will still be able to move between homes to see both parents. In doing so, it is vital that sensible precautions are taken – children should wash their hands with soap and hot water for 20 seconds when they arrive at a different home, and should regularly wash their hands throughout their stay.

It goes without saying that if somebody in the house they are intending to travel to is showing signs of coronavirus, for example with a continuous cough or high temperature, then the visit should absolutely not take place. This would apply for 7 days if there is just one person living alone who has symptoms, or 14 days if there are other people in the household with the person showing symptoms.

As you can appreciate, this is a fast-moving situation and the Government’s advice is regularly updated. I would strongly encourage you to check gov.uk/coronavirus for the latest information.