If one person has high risk letter, do all people living in house need to stay home for 12 weeks?

[Carer01234]

I'm sorry if this has been discussed, I am a bit panicky and can't find anything.

We have just had a letter from the government addressed to one elderly member of family. The advice is very confusing to me. I need to know if it means that everyone living in the house has to stay home for 12 weeks. At the moment I do essential shopping and collect prescriptions and scrub everything down on my return. We will do whatever is necessary but the letter is not clear to me. Thanks in advance.

No

No. But the advice is for the shielded person to socially distance as much as possible from other members of the household who may need to leave the house from time to time. So, if you have 2 bathrooms, let one be designated to be used only by the shielded person.

Can you sign up for online deliveries to reduce all those trips out and reduce the risk? We are not on the list (mild condition only) but are only leaving the house for a daily walk.

Thank you all!

We've only had one trip out to local shop/pharmacy per week between three of us so far anyway. Plus things dropped at door by a relative. Am just trying to think things through and make a plan for food, medicine and what to do if relative cannot come.

The earliest online delivery is booked for 15th April, still trying to get on vulnerable list for online shopping but it's not easy to get through.

The no-contact exercise walks are a bit of a sanity-saver though and I'm not sure how they increase risk, or if they are forbidden for not at risk family members? Am willing to give anything up if necessary but am finding it hard to understand letter (in Wales if that makes a difference).

Thanks again.

My FIL is shielding and MIL has been advised (by FIL's healthcare team) not to go out either.

You have to weigh up the risk. If you are two adults and have a separate bedrooms and bathrooms then as long as the other adult is being careful- going out only on essential errands then that’s fine. If you have children, a small house, one bathroom etc then it would be better for everyone in the household to shield.

I'm shielding at home. I've had the NHS letter saying I have to stay at home for 12 weeks, but DH is still having to go to work. We're fortunate to have a spare room which I've moved into, but it's otherwise really difficult to maintain social distancing.

@Carer01234 : Just Google, Guidance on shielding, Wales, and it will give you a link to the official document from the Welsh health board.
It includes the section, what if I have someone else living with me.
Good luck.

Thank you so much @wingedharpy. That's exactly what I needed!
phw.nhs.wales/topics/latest-information-on-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/how-to-protect-extremely-vulnerable-people-shielding/

Depends if they are high risk or being shielded.

High risk. Yes. Others can go out

Shielded. No. Clue is in the word. You're shielding them.

No, they don't have to follow the rules like the shielded person. But if they do go out then the shielded person has to play this game where they cannot go within three feet of any person in their house for a minimum of the next twelve weeks. Fun times.

My husband has the letter saying that he is at severe risk so has to stay in. I've decided to stay in too and am hoping I will be allowed to work from home for the next 3 months.
I don't feel I can risk going shopping etc in case I bring the virus back to him.
I think it's up to you all how you handle it.