Everything you need to know about the big changes to shielding rules

From July 6th, those with underlying health issues will no longer have to shield or avoid contact with others. 

Those people who were deemed clinically extremely vulnerable to Covid-19 have been self-isolating throughout the pandemic, with a total of up to 2.2 million people in England having to do this.

Since the end of March, these people have been in their homes for 12 weeks, avoiding face-to-face contact with others and keeping their distance from those we live with. 

On June 1st, the measures were slightly relaxed allowing one trip outside of the home a day and a socially distant meeting with one other person from another household. 

From July 6th, the guidance for those shielding will be relaxed even further. 

The new rules, coming into place July 6th, will mean those shielding will be able to meet up outside in groups of six people from different households, as long as they can keep two metres apart. 

They will also no longer have to keep the two-metre distance with the rest of their household. 

If a shielding person has been living alone they will be allowed to form a ‘support bubble’ with another household. Experts have stressed the importance of physical distancing and strict hand hygiene to reduce the risk of infection.

From August 1st, Matt Hancock has explained that the shielding scheme will be ‘paused’ and will be resumed if needed.

This could mean that those who have been shielding will be able to see other people, go to the shops and from the start of August potentially go back to work if they are ‘COVID-secure’.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries has said that young children who have been shielding, for instance due to asthma, are at a greater risk of being left behind in their education than of getting COVID.

She said: “In terms of the long-term health outcomes, that would be far worse,” 

From August 1st, it also means statutory sick pay and free food boxes will be stopped for shielding individuals.

Supermarket delivery slots will still be given as a priority to those shielding, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.

Regarding a second wave, Dr Harries said that the government will ‘continue to monitor the evidence closely and adjust the advice accordingly’.

New research by the University of Oxford has also provided a new model which improves the identification of those who need to shield.

This means that if shielding needs to resume, those who have been shielding over the past three months might not have to do so again with the new more precise targeting being applied.