People Living Alone In NSW Can Have A ‘Single Social Buddy’ To Combat Lockdown Loneliness

The NSW Government has finally announced people living alone will be able to create a bubble with a relative, friend, or colleague to combat loneliness during lockdown.

“If you have been or living by yourself, you are allowed to nominate one person … to visit you, but it has to be the same person,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in a press conference today. “It can’t be a different person everyday.”

For people living in South West and Western Sydney’s restricted local government areas, their buddy has to also live in their area or within a 10km radius from their homes, with Berejiklian citing that households remain the “biggest problem” for transmission right now.

Single social bubble announced:

– allowed to nominate one person to visit you
– has to be the same person

Thanks to @GladysB for seeing how important this is to so many in this city.

— Melanie Tait 💉💉 (@MelanieTait) July 28, 2021

“There are moments where you can start to feel very alone during lockdown, especially when there’s no clear finish line in sight,” 27-year-old Corinne told Junkee.

“Knowing that I’ll be able to sit at home and have a coffee or dinner with a friend or my Mum makes the inevitable lockdown extensions a little less scary,” she said.

It follows pressure on Berejiklian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard to broaden visitation exemptions, which were previously limited to compassionate grounds: romantic or sexual relationships where two people don’t live together, or visitors providing care or assistance responsibilities.

The last census recorded 350,000 people living alone in Greater Sydney, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Many pointed out the double standard of being allowed to have a new or recent fling in their homes, while people on their own with no roommates hadn’t seen their family or friends since June 26.

We didn’t have a social bubble this time last year. I know because it’s nearly 12 months since I had to say goodbye to my dog , as a single person on my own. That’s why I feel for everyone in NSW. Lockdown sucks.

— martin liedtke (@martin_liedtke) July 23, 2021

“Relationships and friendships take many different forms and single people who live alone shouldn’t be penalised for not having a traditional sexual relationship in their lives,” a NSW petition with over 10,000 signatures read.

“Everybody should be able to connect with one other person during this really difficult time,” petition organiser Melanie Tait told The Drum on Monday.

Addressing the discrepancy earlier this month, Hazzard had pushed people to take advantage of the great outdoors to see people they’re not ‘intimate’ with, aligning with the two-person exercise rule currently in place.

Single social bubbles have been already trialled in South Australia and Victoria, as well as in the UK.

Lockdown and quarantine can cause negative psychological effects such as depression, PTSD, confusion, anger, boredom, and loneliness, according to a COVID-related mental health report by the Black Dog Institute.

The move will be vital as lockdown continues, after Berejikilian extended the NSW lockdown by another four weeks.

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If you’d need support during lockdown, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.