Shielding to ease next week/end Aug 1

[PatriciaHolm]

This afternoons briefing from Matt Hancock - "From Monday 6 July people who are shielding will be able to spend time outdoors in a group of up to six people including those outside of their household, while maintaining physical distancing. Those who are shielding and live alone or are single parents with children will also be able to create a ‘support bubble’ with one other household of any size. "

Then as of Aug 1, scheme largely coming to an end; people can go back to work if Covid-safe, and help will be limited to local authority/voluntary support.

Pretty much as announced in NI earlier, I think. Not entirely surprising.

I predict lots of doctors sick notes on the horizon for stress, anxiety, depression...

Government could just fund education properly for a change and see what could be done about keeping those shielding working from home for as long as possible.

@MereDintofPandiculation

So potentially sign off long term sick He specifically said that shielders wouldn't be eligible for sick pay.

Hancock? I admit my stupidity on the matter is amplified by the fact I didn't watch it, I just listened to my husband summarise 😂

I know two people shielding whose consultants said they don't need to, as more information has come out the categories have changed. I also wonder if more people with diabetes should generally be upgraded as it seems to be a huge factor in deaths. So I think they ought to update the shielding list regardless.

The support continues to end of July, figures are going down and projected to keep going down. At some point there has to be a tipping point where everyone lives their lives, waiting for zero worldwide or even zero UK cases is not reasonable, so the point selected will always look arbitrary.

@MereDintofPandiculation

So potentially sign off long term sick He specifically said that shielders wouldn't be eligible for sick pay.

Can you go on long term sick with out actually being sick? I think that’s what the issue is going to be.

I thought the same Carlotta, so if that's the case what is going to happen?

www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-to-ease-guidance-for-over-2-million-shielding

Here’s the official information

I'm shielding due to asthma and am on a TA course. From September I should be in placement at my ds's primary school. I'm a lone parent and really worried about being back out in the world in general but the thought of being at school is not good at all. It's germ soup at the best of times, and an overheated incubator. I think the lifting of restrictions is happening too fast and with too many being lifted in quick succession.

@namechangenumber2

I thought the same Carlotta, so if that's the case what is going to happen?

God knows. I really do think the Gov will place it on the employers door step to deal with and eventually unless they are very sympathetic there will be job losses.

Sleeping Yes, matt hancock said that after a certain date shielder could go back to work if they couldn't work at home, and would no long be eligible for sick pay ... I assume he means no longer eligible for sick pay if shielding, rather than no longer eligible for sick pay if actually ill, but that wasn't what he actually said.

I think the lifting of restrictions is happening too fast and with too many being lifted in quick succession. Yes. If it all goes wrong, how can you work out which the problem was? You'd have to put all the restrictions back on, not jut the ones whose absence was causing the upsurge.

Please could someone explain the "paused" but from August? Does this mean that they are anticipating us being shielded again at some point? Second wave or flu season for example?

@Bercows

Please could someone explain the "paused" but from August? Does this mean that they are anticipating us being shielded again at some point? Second wave or flu season for example?

That's exactly what they mean.

If infection rates rise again then they might have to start shielding again.

Of course that might not happen or it might be more localised, so limited to one area rather than countrywide.

I think it means that everyone else is to have a lovely summer holiday of near normality.

And we can see people (but not touch them) probably in back gardens only, as you won't be able to be sure if everyone else's distancing.

August is far enough off that what actually happens then is irrelevant in terms of political promises. Not least the long distance weather forecast. If it's going to be a balmy, dry and sunny summer, then we might even get the same restrictions as other sectors of the population.

Have some fun now, because they do not know what is coming in the autumn. The list is 'paused' so that they can justify keeping the data and can quickly reimpose restrictions if needed. Supermarkets to keep the delivery slots going as they want to abolish the box scheme and that only works if we can get deliveries by other means. Staying on supermarket priority lists is by far the easiest and most effective way of doing this. Pharmacies also because it's also a comaparatively small thing which has high impact.

The only thing that worries me is everyone else coming down to 1m only even if the person coming closer is not wearing a mask to contain their effluvia. If only the rule could be '1m in a mask, 2m if not'

The only thing that worries me is everyone else coming down to 1m only even if the person coming closer is not wearing a mask to contain their effluvia. If only the rule could be '1m in a mask, 2m if not'

This worries me too.

Those of us coming out of shielding can't keep ourselves safe. We're reliant on everyone else keeping their distance and if that is reduced to just 1 metre what's the point? Even now, when it's at 2 metres lots aren't sticking to it.

I went for a walk yesterday and on several occasions people walked past me, brushing against me or groups walked side by side on the pavement.

I will go back to work in August but I am worried - I know that most people won't SD and it will only be the low incidence of infection that will protect me. If it starts going up again I don't know what I will do. I can't afford to just not work but then I don't want the alternative either.

What I'd like to know is....shielding for England ends 1st August and no sick pay after that for shielding. Shielding ends 15th August in Wales. So what happens if someone lives in Wales but works in England? They can shield for another 2 weeks in Wales, but get no pay?

I feel very anxious because it's other people that are the issue. No one on my small street has kept to the rules on anything. Not one household. It's a small street and gazing out of the window is my only contact with the outside world. My window is high up so I have a good view. Overnight stays, parties. Visitors in the house, not social distancing, in and out several times a day even right at the beginning even though they weren't working. And from the threads on here they were just a few of hundreds doing the same. Selfish bastards.

Tabby, they really need to have UK-wide rules on this. It's ridiculous. We have open borders and people work and live across them. I wonder how they are getting on in Northern Ireland where part of the property is in NI and part in the Republic? I remember reading about this with regards to brexit. There's a farm where the border dissects the property.

Bercows

I feel exactly the same. I am in the vulnerable group and being as careful as I can and not going out. I do not work. No-one around here seems to have been following the rules, in lockdown my neighbours had a skip delivered and loads of building work done. They have friends round in the house all the time, they had a massive party the other night in the garden but then all went in the house. One of the neighbours is obese and works in a hospice. They even clapped for carers, such hypocrites. You would think that they would know better.

FiL is shielding. He is planning to ask his doctor what it would be safe for him to do, on the basis that the doctor has more idea of his individual needs than a blanket policy at government level.

Surely lots of people shielding will be doing this, particularly if they are concerned about going back to workplaces (and will get signed of sick if need be)?

I was thinking of emailing my GP too but it's going to be a huge extra workload if everyone does this. I'll wait until the full guidance comes out and if still unsure then I'll contact the GP. I'm
Extra cautious with being a lone parent. My dc need me healthy and there's no one to look after them if I am seriously ill.

I can see lots of redundancies if you have certain health conditions. You will be a risk to your employer. You will have to fill in a medical form declaring any health issues that put you in a higher risk, then your job won’t be available for you to return to. Millions of people are going to be made redundant, employers will be able to pick and choose.

@Alex50 yep
I declared at interview and it has paid off massively for me. My boss is very much "WFH, it's fine. Your consultant knows best, I'm not medical so we will just go with what he says"
I keep a really open relationship about it and give appointment cards in etc

Lots of people are already receiving the letters today.

I agree with the pp who said about trying to have some fun now, as we don’t know what to expect come fly season. I’m going to do it very cautiously but there a few bits I’ve missed so much that will be my priority.

I was t told to shield until the 22nd April so I bet I'll be last in the queue to receive a letter.

*wasn't told.