I realise it was all paused on 1 August.
I've found this example letter from 22 June.. it gives a bit more of a timeline of which bits of shielding were relaxed when - it's a pdf link.
www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/06/C0624-shielding-letter-to-patients.pdf
What is the current guidance?
Over the course of the last three months, you have been identified as someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable due to an underlying disease or health condition that may put you at risk of severe illness if you catch Coronavirus (also known as COVID-19). This remains the case and you are advised to follow the shielding guidance rigorously.
You were advised to ‘shield’ to protect yourself during the peak of the epidemic in England when you were more likely to come into contact with the virus in your daily life. The initial shielding guidance advised that you should stay at home at all times and strictly avoid non-essential face-to-face contact.
On 1 June the shielding guidance was slightly relaxed, and we suggested that you may wish to spend some time outdoors away from your home once a day. This change was based on scientific evidence that the initial peak of the pandemic had passed in the UK and, in general, the likelihood of meeting someone in the community with infection had significantly reduced. Like all our guidance to those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, this was advisory.
What is changing?
Throughout the epidemic we have been clear on the need to balance the risk of the
disease to those who are clinically extremely vulnerable with the benefits of gradually returning to normal life. We know that the shielding guidance has been challenging to follow and that it will take time to adjust.
The latest scientific evidence shows that the prevalence of disease across all English regions has continued to decline. If this trend continues as we expect it to, the Government will further relax its shielding advice in two stages on 6 July and 1 August.
From 6 July:
• you may, if you wish, meet in a group of up to 6 people outdoors, including people
from different households, while maintaining strict social distancing;
• you no longer need to observe social distancing with other members of your
household;
• in line with the wider guidance for single adult households (either an adult living
alone or with dependent children under 18) in the general population, you may from
this date, if you wish, also form a ‘support bubble’ with one other household. All
those in a support bubble will be able to spend time together inside each other's
homes, including overnight, without needing to socially distance. This is a small
advisory change that brings those affected a step nearer others in their
communities. However, all the other current shielding advice will remain unchanged at this time.
From 1 August the advice to ‘shield’ will be paused. From this date, the Government is
advising you to adopt strict social distancing rather than full shielding measures. Strict social distancing means you may wish to go out to more places and see more people but you should take particular care to minimise contact with others outside your household or support bubble.
In practice, this means from 1 August you are advised that you no longer need to shield.
This means that from 1 August:
• you can go to work, if you cannot work from home, as long as the business is
COVID-safe;
• children who are clinically extremely vulnerable can return to their education
settings if they are eligible and in line with their peers. Where possible children
should practise frequent hand washing and social distancing;
• you can go outside to buy food, to places of worship and for exercise but you
should maintain strict social distancing; and
• you should remain cautious as you are still at risk of severe illness if you catch
Coronavirus, so the advice is to stay at home where possible and, if you do go out,
follow strict social distancing.