New shielding guidance from 1 August
In a continued effort to ease lockdown measures across the country, the Government has made a decision to pause shielding for those extremely vulnerable to the Coronavirus from Saturday 1 August. However, it is important to note that if you live in an area where there is a high transmission of Covid-19, you will be advised to resume shielding again.
If you were receiving food parcels or medicine deliveries from the Government’s National Shielding Service you will no longer receive this from 1 August. However, NHS Volunteer Responders can continue to collect food parcels, prescriptions and essential items for you should you need help.
The new shielding guidance also means that you can now get to see more people, and visit more places. You can do this by creating a ‘support bubble’ with one other household. If you are a single adult living on your own (or with children under 18), you will now also be able to spend time inside another households home (including overnight stays). You can read more about the updated shielding guidance in Public Health England’s Guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from Covid-19.
It’s important to remember that if you do not feel ready to leave home, and are concerned about your likelihood of catching coronavirus, it’s okay to stay at home as much as you feel necessary. However, if you are planning to go outside, it’s important to adhere to the rules, especially maintaining strict social distancing and wearing a face covering in shops, supermarkets and on public transport.
