Covid 19 - Advice for the clinically extremely vulnerable
If you have been contacted by letter saying you are in the clinically extremely vulnerable category then there are specific guidelines you are advised to follow.
Read the guidelines for the clinically extremely vulnerable
Shielding ended on 1 April 2021
From 1 April 2021, although you should still take precautions, you are will no longer be required to shield.
You should get a letter from the government telling you what this means, how to stay safe and where to get help if you need it.
Although the restrictions are easing, if you are on the CEV list, it is important to continue to:
- work from home if you can do this, but if you cannot work from home you are now able to attend your workplace
- keep the number of social interactions that you have low and try to reduce the amount of time you spend in settings where you are unable to maintain social distancing
- try to shop online if possible, or ask a friend or family member to help with online shopping or to collect your shopping and medicines for you
If you cannot work from home, from 1 of April 2021, you will no longer be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) on the basis of being advised to shield.
However your employer may choose to furlough you under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and you may wish to discuss this with your employer.
You can find further help on what the guidance means for you on the GOV.UK support page.
Please note that you will remain on our CEV list and we will contact you again if the advice for clinically extremely vulnerable people changes.
CEV and vaccinations
You should already have been offered your first dose of the vaccine.
If this hasn’t happened, you should contact your doctor to arrange as soon as possible.
If you have received your first dose, you should still ensure you take up your second dose of the vaccine when it is offered to you. Having two doses should further increase your level of protection.
Please also note that having the vaccine means you should be protected against the worst effects of Covid 19, but you should still undertake Covid 19 tests as appropriate.
Support with prescriptions
You can order your repeat medication without needing to go to a GP surgery or pharmacy by using the NHS app.
You can access a range of NHS services from home, including ordering repeat prescriptions or contacting your health professional through an online consultation.
You might still want to ask friends, family to collect medicines for you.
Support with food
Please go to our self-isolation support page for a list of food supply options you may want to make use of.
Further support
You may find that the idea of returning to old routines, or doing things that we haven’t done for a while, can cause anxiety or stress.
You can find links to support with this on our Havering Community Hub.
The hub provides access to services online and can connect you to support with wellbeing and counselling.
There are also links to further support such as employment support advice, budgeting and debt advice, befriending, how to keep healthy and general support services in a way that suits you.
Go to the Havering Community Hub website
Our #benicetoyournoggin campaign also has lots of useful information to help with your wellbeing.
Money worries?
If you have concerns about money, you can find help on our covid 19 financial support page.