There’s been much debate about when holidays, festivals and weddings might return, but many of us simply want to know when we can see loved ones again.

Although current restrictions allow you to meet with one other person while exercising locally outdoors – or indoors, if you’re in a support bubble – this doesn’t help those of us geographically separated from friends and family. 

The government has stayed relatively tight lipped on this huge part of our lives, but here’s what we know so far.

When will we have some answers? 

The government has repeatedly said reopening schools for face-to-face learning is top of their priority list, and that easing social restrictions – such as seeing friends and family – will follow. 

In an announcement on January 27, the Prime Minister said he was hoping to reopen schools on March 8. 

“If we achieve our target of vaccinating everyone in the four most vulnerable groups with their first dose by February 15, and every passing day sees more progress towards that goal, then those groups [will] have developed immunity from the virus about three-weeks later, that is by March 8,” he said.  

“We hope it will therefore be safe to begin the reopening of schools from Monday, March 8, with other economic and social restrictions being removed thereafter as and when the data permits […] then or thereafter, I should say.”

This means it’s very unlikely we’ll be able to mix socially with others outside before March 8.

This was confirmed by Michael Gove, who suggested it’s likely lockdown will remain in place until March. “I think it is right to say that, as we enter March, we should be able to lift some of these restrictions, but not necessarily all,” he told Sky News.

Similarly, on January 17, Dominic Raab suggested as long as the vaccination programme progresses, lockdown could begin to be eased from March.

The government has promised to publish a “roadmap” out of lockdown on February 22, which will allow us to “begin steadily to reclaim our lives”. 

HuffPost UK asked the Department of Health and Social Care if it can share any further details on when we can see our friends and family. We were told there will be no speculation on which restrictions will be lifted and when – and that we’ll all have to wait until February 22. 

A government source reportedly told The Times that outdoor activity – such as individual sports like golf, or limited social gatherings outside – are likely to be the first things reintroduced after the school openings. 

When we went into lockdown in March 2020, it took 7 weeks – until 11 May – until people were able to meet one person outdoors to socialise, as long as they socially distanced. However, the third lockdown is notably different, due to the increasing number of Covid variants in circulation. 

What about care homes? 

Six groups have called for urgent action to reopen care homes in England for meaningful indoor visits “as a matter of safety, common decency, and fundamental human rights”.

Age UK, John’s Campaign, the National Care Forum, Relatives & Residents, Rights for Residents and Registered Nursing Homes Association want relatives to be provided PPE and regular testing, to allow visits to resume before other lockdown restrictions are eased. 

They say care homes need to use individualised assessments to balance the risk of harm from the virus with the risk of harm from isolation. Currently, friends and family visit loved ones through a window, or speak via Zoom.

The government has said it’s looking to ensure a wider range of visiting arrangements are made available “when it is safe to do so”.