This week’s email provides you with resources and information to share with your older constituents on the latest advice around shielding.
On 22 June Government announced that some restrictions will be lifted for people who are shielding from 6 July. These include:
- Those who are shielding will be able to meet up to 5 other people in outdoor spaces, including those from a different household
- If you are shielding you will also be able to form a support bubble if you or another household live alone.
- You will no longer need to socially distance from people that you live with.
The rest of the guidance for people who are shielding will remain the same and your older constituents who are shielding shouldn’t at this stage go to shops or other indoor spaces such as places of worship. At Age UK, we have a helpful grid that explains what the terms around shielding mean and what people who have previously been asked to shield should do. You can access this grid here and we encourage you to share this with your older constituents.
From 1st August the advice to shield will be paused and those considered clinically extremely vulnerable will be advised to adopt strict social distancing measures instead, meaning your older constituents who were shielding will be able to go out to shops and see more people but should take care to minimise contact with others outside their household or support bubble.
From the 1st August Government support for people who are shielding, including food parcels, will also be stopped. While many older people will be pleased to hear that shielding will be paused, we know that others may feel worried about these changes and concerned they are being forgotten. It is important that older people are made aware of support which will continue to be available to them, include through the NHS First Responder Scheme and organisations such as Age UK. People who have been shielding will also remain eligible for priority shopping slots online, so long as they register for Government support before the 17th July. Everyone who is on the shielding list will be written to outlining these next steps.
In the meantime, Age UK’s latest guidance can be found here. This is updated as Government advice changes.
