Entire Covid shielding programme quietly axed for good on day of Cabinet reshuffle

The entire Covid shielding programme has been “closed” for good in an announcement slipped out at night during a Cabinet reshuffle.

Clinically extremely vulnerable people will “not be advised to shield again” in future despite fears of a huge winter wave, said the statement uploaded to the government website last week.

Furious charities today raised fears disabled and immunosuppressed people will be “cast adrift” - while others will feel “yet again forgotten by the government”.

Some 3.8million vulnerable people were advised to shield during England’s third lockdown, going outside only for exercise or health appointments. That guidance was paused on 1 April and on July 19 people were told they could follow the same rules as the rest of the population.

But the ‘Shielded Patient List’ was retained for future use and ex-shielders were given special tips, such as only meeting vaccinated people.

Last night, however, the government announced there will no longer be “centralised guidance” for clinically extremely vulnerable people.

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Source: Mirror, 16 September 2021