Around 2.2 million clinically vulnerable people across the UK have been adhering to strict shielding measures since March to prevent coronavirus infection.
People identified for shielding would be at high risk of serious illness should they catch the virus. Shielding advice includes staying at home as much as possible and minimise any outside interaction.
On shielding, Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer said: “This has been a very difficult and sometimes frightening period for people who have been shielding and therefore to give people time to prepare, we are setting out the advice in a stepped approach.”
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From today (Monday, July 6), Government guidance states that those who have been shielding will be able to enjoy new freedoms as the transmission of Covid-19 in the community continues to decrease.
These include:
People who have been advised to shielding will no longer need to socially distance from people they live with They can choose to meet up with groups of up to six people outdoors ‘Support bubbles’ with other households can now be formed but one of the households forming the bubble must be a single adult household living alone or with children under 18 Government support offer has been extended with food box and medicine deliveries available until July 31
From 1 August, shielding guidance will be lifted across the UK providing the rate of transmission remains low.