The four million people in England and Wales who have been told to shield during lockdown will no longer have to do so from Thursday, but are still being advised by the Government to keep social contacts at low levels. BBC News has the story.
Wednesday marks the last day that about four million of the most clinically vulnerable people in England and Wales are advised to shield at home.
Letters have been sent out to the group in the last few weeks.
They are still being advised to keep social contacts at low levels, work from home where possible and stay at a distance from other people.
The change comes amid falling Covid cases and hospital admissions.
According to NHS Digital, there are 3.8 million shielded patients in England and 130,000 in Wales.
Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to lift their restrictions later in April.
In the UK about 90,000 people shielding are under 18. Once they are no longer advised to shield, they can return to school.
Worth reading in full.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.
“Will no longer have to do so”
They never had to do so
The letters that some people recieved did read very much like Government Orders to shield.
I was interested to read them because the recipients had similar conditions to mine but I never recieved such ‘instructions’.
I have RA for which I take a an immuno-supressent drug. Been on it for years, probably been in contact with all sorts of infections, colds, flus, viruses, every day of my life, as I go about my business, but I’ve always been careful, and have remained in fairly good health. For the whole of last year, I wasn’t considered “vulnerable” even though my GP “thought” I should “maybe” be on the list, but nothing more was said or done, not that I wanted to shield! The charity that supports people with arthritis even said those taking the level of drug that I’m on, are fine to not have to shield! My shopping deliveries, though, stopped last year, which I needed, due to problems with joint pain – luckily, I had some family help. Even though I questioned it, I wasn’t deemed “vulnerable” enough! So, I just got with my life, no illness, no fears, no mask, just looking after myself, supporting my immune system, shutting down all MSM…Then about a month ago, I got a letter from NHS, telling me I’m suddenly not just “vulnerable” but “clinically, extremely vulnerable!” and that I SHOULD shield for the next three weeks or so! In the letter was the inevitable heavy push to get vaccinated – but no information at all about the “vaccine,” so how am I supposed to give my “informed consent!” Basically, the letter was dumped. They obviously thought I was vulnerable enough suddenly, when there’s a vaccine to push hard!
I spent much of last summer wondering what to do in the event of receiving ‘shield’ instructions, I would almost certainly have ignored them (insurances permitting) and carried on hoping for the best.
I’ve had several government (ie not GP) prompts to take up the vaccine but only once was the phrase ‘vulnerable group’ used and that might have related to age.
Indeed!
Exactly. Disappointing to see the blurring of the distinction between guidance and law perpetuated here. It just shows how pervasive the coronamadness paradigm has become that even sceptics like those writing ATL slip up.
I was out and about as a key worker from day 1 of lockdown 2020 despite having COPD and asthma which were presumed to be bad news re the covid. This was because I took the view that if Covid was gonna get me no amount of shielding at home was going to prevent that.
I have a colleague who does exactly the same as me who has been ‘shielding at home’ for 12 months now, I expect his immune system is shot to hell, ready to fail in the face of the first kiddie lurgey to come his way.
After the first 3 or 4 weeks I ceased to worry overmuch about it, masks had yet to become a thing, sanitizer could largely be ignored and I didn’t need to shop in places with queues.
Not having access to terrestrial TV and ceasing to buy print media no doubt shielded me from the worst of the government generated fear porn that put people into shielding in the first place.
If you used an asthma inhaler, that probably helped you, as well as you maintaining your immune system.
As a general point, more substantial evidence is emerging about highly probable prophylaxis from various medicines.
The almost total neglect of this area seems to me confirmatory evidence that this is a vaccine marketing campaign, not serious evidence-based medicine
I do use an inhaler and learned subsequently about their immune system benefits.
You’re a wise person, kv. And if you lost a lot from the year just passed, as we all did, at least you didn’t consign yourself to living death.
Thank you Annie, I did lose financially entirely due to lockdown but, as you say, I remained a real live human being and not a cowering Covid zombie.
A friend’s sister was out and about during the first lockdown, going to the shops and for walks.
In July (I think) she was told she had to shield for the next fourteen weeks
Her attitiude was “I’ve survived this long”
Important to note that the letters say that shielding has been *paused*. The politicians are clearly leaving it open to reintroduce if it becomes politically expedient.
More fools those who obey.