Hello to everyone that lives alone in NSW (especially if you’re in Sydney), I have an exciting announcement! Did you know that you can actually register a singles bubble buddy even if you have an intimate partner? Subject to certain rules, of course.
I know, you’re probably thinking: ‘isn’t the singles bubble for people who are single?’, and I wouldn’t blame you because until recently I was under the same impression. But turns out, that’s not quite true!
To give you a quick refresher, people who live alone – which means there are no other adults who live in the same home – can have a nominated visitor (also referred to as a singles bubble).
A nominated visitor is one person who can come over to hang at your place, and you can also exercise or enjoy outdoor recreation with them. Your nominated visitor:
- Can only be one person (and their dependent children, if there are no alternative care arrangements).
- Can visit you on more than one occasion.
- Cannot be a nominated visitor for another person.
- Must be living or staying within 5km of your home.
If you live in an LGA of concern, you have to register your nominated visitor online.
If you’re like me, and live alone but have an intimate partner, then it’s fair to assume that this disqualifies you from having a singles bubble, since you’re already being visited by someone. Except, that’s wrong!
If your intimate partner lives outside your 5km radius, they literally can’t be registered as your singles buddy. In that case, you can register someone else to be your buddy on top of being visited by your partner — as long as they aren’t over at the same time!
According to Service NSW, the reasoning for this is that intimate partner visits are already covered under compassionate care, regardless of if you live alone or not. They don’t necessarily disqualify you from a singles bubble since they’re considered a different type of visit, and everyone can be visited by an intimate partner.
So, if you’re like me and live in an LGA of concern, with an intimate partner that lives more than 5km away, register another mate or family member to be in your singles bubble! I’ve just registered my best friend, who lives 3.5km from me, and I can already feel my loneliness dissipating.
Just make sure you don’t have more than one person come over at the same time! You can register your singles bubble here.
