Shielded Patients

Yesterday we shared the Government’s updated guidance for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 who have been advised to shield, which came into effect from yesterday, 1st June; we felt it worth repeating this in today’s bulletin.

In summary the changes are:

  • The advice for people identified as clinically extremely vulnerable is that they should continue to shield until at least the 30th June but from 1st June, they can spend a short period of time outdoors each day with members of their household, still maintaining 2m distance from others.
  • If the shielded person lives alone, the Government is advising they can meet one other person from a different household, maintaining strict social distancing. The advice is that this should be the same person each time.
  • Important aspects of Government’s policy and guidance remain the same. Apart from going outside once per day, a shielded person should continue to avoid all non-essential face to face contact. This means they should still not go shopping or to pharmacies.
  • The support for shielded people remains in place and unchanged.

The Government has also confirmed that it will be reviewing shielding guidance alongside wider changes to social distancing, including plans to write to those on the shielding patients list with information about next steps on shielding after the next review on 15th June.