News
An extra 1.7 million people will be told to shield in England
BREAKING.
Around 1.7 million more people have been added to the shielding list in England, after being found to be at potential serious risk to Covid-19.
A new algorithm that looks at multiple factors has identified more people who should be shielding. They can expect a letter from the NHS in the coming days.
Around 800,000 will have not been offered the coronavirus vaccine already but they will be bumped up the priority list.
Oxford University has developed the new tool which assesses if someone is at risk of severe disease or death from Covid-19, and therefore the shielding list was expanded.
Multiple factors, including age, ethnicity, BMI, other health conditions and also postcode to indicate levels of deprivation are all considered in the new tool.
The additional 1.7 million people brings the list of those shielding to almost four million. They should shield until March 31st, according to advice.
Those joining the list will get the same support available to those who are ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’, including medicine deliveries, priority slots at supermarkets and statutory sick pay according to Dr Jenny Harries.
She told a briefing for journalists: “As we learn more about Covid-19, we’re continuously reviewing the evidence… it was very clear that not all of those individuals who were at risk were identified by the binary approach.”
She added: “The letter will note that this is more likely to be an overestimate of risk in a way which hopefully handles any of their anxiety.
“And it makes it absolutely clear that it is a choice for them if they choose to follow shielding advice or not – that has always been the case.
“What it does also do – which I hope will benefit them, which is why people will hopefully be grateful to receive this – is it will prioritise them for vaccination.
“In addition to that it means they have advice and support and that is important not just now, but should there be any changes in the pandemic in forthcoming months – for example, perhaps in vaccinations perhaps in the autumn as we go forward, then clearly they will be identified within that group as well so there are current and longer term benefits.”
Commuters could be facing the steepest rise in the cost of train travel in more than a decade just months after prices were already increased.
It has been predicted today that train prices across England and Wales could rise by nearly 5% before the New Year.
The 2021 rise in prices was delayed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic when train travel was at an all-time low, however, tickets still saw a price rise of 2.6% in March.
Abhijit Tembhekar / Flickr
And this morning, the Retail Prices Index for July 2021 was confirmed as 3.8% by the Office for National Statistics, meaning passengers could see fares rise by 4.8% in 2022, which would be the largest hike since 2012.
This means that the cost of rail travel could increase twice within ten months, and would see a Manchester-Glasgow off-peak return rise by £6.30 to £94.90, according to Metro.
Though all hope isn’t yet gone – changes to the fares in 2022 are still yet to be confirmed.
Jon David Houghton / Wikimedia Commons
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “No decision has been made on national rail fares.
“The government is considering a variety of options and we will announce our decision in due course.”
This news has come as train travel in Manchester and beyond is on the rise – earlier this month, we reported that zero cases of Covid were found in Manchester Piccadilly Train Station, despite thousands of commuters using the station’s services as offices reopen.
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