Yesterday the government outlined some upcoming changes for people who are shielding.  This is for those people who have been contacted by the NHS or Government to say they are at high risk (extremely clinically vulnerable) from coronavirus, and advised to stay home and shield.

The advice will change (in England) from July 6th and after that date the changes are

• you can meet with 1 other household if you live alone or you’re a single parent who lives alone with your children – this is called a support bubble
• you can meet outside with people you do not live with, in groups of up to 6 – as long as you stay 2 metres away from each other
• you do not need to try to stay 2 metres away from people you live with

From 1 August the government will be advising that shielding will be paused. From this date, the government is advising you to adopt strict social distancing rather than full shielding measures. Strict social distancing means you may wish to go out to more places and see more people but you should take particular care to minimise contact with others outside your household or support bubble. In practice this means that from 1 August:

• you can go outside to buy food, to places of worship and for exercise but you should maintain strict social distancing
• you should remain cautious as you are still at risk of severe illness if you catch coronavirus, so the advice is to stay at home where possible and, if you do go out, follow strict social distancing
• you can go to work, if you cannot work from home, as long as the business is COVID-safe
• children who are clinically extremely vulnerable can return to their education settings if they are eligible and in line with their peers. Where possible children should practise frequent hand washing and social distancing

After 1 August, the centrally provided support – ie government food boxes etc will stop, however local council and some nhs volunteer support is likely to continue, at least for a while.  We will be keeping an eye on the situation so that we can advise you on the support (including support from Caring Together) available locally

Information is available on gov.uk  and on the nhs website

Please note: this advice is from July 6 and it is recommended you follow the current advice till then. This advice is as follows:

• only leave your home to spend time outdoors, for example to go for a walk
• stay at least 2 metres (3 steps) away from other people in your home as much as possible
• get food and medicine delivered and left outside your door – ask friends and family to help or register to get coronavirus support on GOV.UKif you need it
• prepare a hospital bag, including a list of the medicines you’re taking, in case you need to go into hospital
• wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
• make sure anyone who comes into your home washes their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds
• use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• clean objects and surfaces you touch often (such as door handles, kettles and phones) using your regular cleaning products
• clean a shared bathroom each time you use it, for example by wiping the surfaces you have touched

• Do Not have visitors inside your home, including friends and family, unless they’re providing essential care
• Do Not stop taking any prescription medicines without speaking to your doctor