July 30, 2020 - 1500 views
Letters from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales to those who are shielding are currently being issued.
This letter follows the announcement on 15th July, that individuals who have been shielding no longer need to do so from 16th August.
The letter also provides details of the support that will continue to be available to this group. The letter reads:
When I first advised you to shield, the coronavirus infection rate was much higher than it is now. Shielding at home was the best way for you to stay safe. Infection rates in Wales are now very low and so your chances of catching coronavirus (COVID-19) are much lower.
In all of my advice to you I have tried to find the right balance between the risks of coronavirus, and the harm that asking you to continue to shield can cause. Staying at home for long periods of time can harm your mental and physical health.
We know that you may be worried about stopping shielding but there are a number of things you can do to help keep you safe:
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds.
- Stay 2 metres or 3 steps away from people you do not live with or are not part of the one
other household your family may be joined with (also known as an extended household).
- Eat healthily and take regular exercise.
- Remember to take any medication your doctor has told you to take.
- Get your free NHS jabs to protect you from other diseases such as measles (you can speak to your doctor about this).
- Get your free NHS annual flu jab when it becomes available in the autumn (you can speak to your doctor about this).After 16th August:
- You no longer need to stay 2 metres or 3 steps away from people you live with or who are part of your extended household;
- You can go to work, if you cannot work from home, as long as the business is COVID- secure (has taken reasonable measures to minimise risk to employees);
- Children who have been shielding can return to school when schools re-start;
- You can go out for any reason, including going to shops to buy food but you should stay 2 metres or 3 steps away from other people.How we will support you after 16 August:
Even though I have advised that you can stop shielding after 16th August:
- We will keep a record of the people who were shielding, so we can contact you and
update you if we need to;
- You will still be able to access priority slots for supermarket deliveries;
- The prescription delivery service will continue until the end of September.
- Food boxes will be stopping. If you currently receive a food box, you will receive your last delivery in the week ending 16th August, on your usual delivery day.If you still need support after the 16th August and you do not have anyone to help you, speak with your local council.
In the event of high numbers of coronavirus cases in a local area in Wales I will consider whether I need to ask people in that local area to shield. If this happens or advice changes for your area we will communicate with the public via local radio and television, and I will also write to you if I need to advise you to shield again.
Future changes to shielding advice:
In the future, if we need to advise people to shield, we are aiming to do so on an individual basis where your doctor can look at your own risk and decide what is the best advice for you. The first group we will do this for is children. We are learning more about coronavirus all the time and now know that children are unlikely to get very sick from the coronavirus, so in most cases do not need to shield.
If you are 18 or under on 16th August 2020 then your paediatrician or GP has been asked to review your record to check if you need to remain on the Shielding Patients List. You will receive a letter containing the confirmation of the outcome of this review.
In some cases clinicians may need to speak with you about this and will contact you directly. We aim to write to children again by early September.
