Shielded to be allowed out!

Franbern the extremely strong advice in the letter was for the shielded to Stay at Home.
Obviously if someone has a garden, that does not mean they cannot venture outside, but going beyond that was not recommended.

franbern

At this moment the scientific evidence precludes easing lockdown on the most vulnerable (never mind other stuff).

This doesn’t mean that this will go on for ever, of course not. But the timing is entirely wrong.

Let’s wait for scientific evidence that shows it is ok and not political expediency.

Just wondering how long those who are shielding expect this to continue.

The virus is still out there, now and will be so in a few months time. Chances of a vaccine are not very high, despite the enormous amount of money and effort being put into it.

The coming of Autumn and winter is likely to intensify the spread of this and other illnesses.

Okay, those who are not in employment, can stay in their isolation for a very long time, if they can cope with it. But a large number of the Shielded are of working age and normally employed, and many of them are not able to continue their work from home. They will be forced, by their own economics out of their isolation,

It also concerns me that so many of those Shielding have taken it to mean NOT TO GO OUT at all. Also, this mania with using things like bleach and over-cleaning everything.

Could this mean that months of total isolation inside, living like that, could actually lead to them being more vulnerable to all the usual virus's and bacteria that we all come across in our normal lives?

At 8,000 new infections a day, how is the situation improving?
Furthermore, why is it significantly decreased in London, but still apparently raging further north? The new 'guidance' seems very London-centric to me.

We should all continue to be extremely careful.

There is zero evidence based science underlining this new advise.

It is nothing more than a good news narrative by this government desperate to take the focus away from Cummings and the governments shortfalls.

This decision will put the most vulnerable as risk just for a political narrative.

I started shielding in mid March because I'm over 70 and take medication that mean my immune system is compromised. I was told by my GP and Rheumatologist that I needed to be very careful but wasn't in the shielding category. I decided they were wrong and continued to shield. On 23 April, I got the 3 page government letter telling me I must shield. As NfKDumpling says, the letter is scary.

I've followed the advice other than I've continued to walk my dogs once a day, early and away from crowded places. Last week, we met two close friends, who are also shielding, in our back garden. We kept the distance, and had a very pleasant hour together. I don't plan to make any changes. I wish I could resume care of our grandchildren but that isn't safe. Yet, their parents are expected to be back at work with no full time school or child care available.

I thought from the beginning that this was harsh and frightening. Still let's hope people will now be happy to go out as advised but I feel they ave created a fear which will be difficult to overcome.

I think The Powers That Be have just realised that, as GG78* says, the consequences of lack of exercise, isolation and in some cases lack of outside space is more damaging than the chances of catching the virus. It’s still only allowing exercise out of the house with your own household or one other person if you live alone and keeping well away from other people. No shopping, no crowded places.

Mine was from the Chief Medical Officer in Wales, who is a Government adviser but it wasn't from the Government, although I had one from the PM too.

GG78 Did you see the government letter? It was quite scary!

GreenGran I suppose if someone lives in a flat or has no garden, then being able to go out but being very careful will come as a relief. Going out doesn't necessarily mean coming into contact with other people.
As we are lucky enough to have a garden, I have spent most of the time outside in the fresh air, ettin exercise gardening, although a change of scene and a walk is something to look forward to.

We were told to stay at home. It's preferable to spend time in the garden than walking along pavements anyway, as we were not allowed to drive anywhere.

I too agree with GoldenAge - there is no scientific basis for the decision to advise shielded people that they can go out now. Nothing has happened that would make this a reasonable decision.

It is extremely disturbing to be in the grip of a pandemic and to be without proper leadership based on scientific advice.

I must admit that I've been shocked by this. I'm not shielding myself, but why was this brought forward so suddenly from 30 .June to tomorrow? I feel people in this group will be more worried than excited.

GG78: you can catch the virus if you happen to be in a shop and someone presymptomatic/asymptomatic sneezes even if they’re several metres away from you.

GG78 wrong!

Sheep to the slaughter?

Where is the scientific evidence - the data - that shows we are less at risk now than on 23rd March?

GreenGran78 - Or by touching something an infected person has touched. Hence all the cleaning of surfaces.

@Chatterbox2. How can you hold the opinion that the government has “done a good job so far” when, at the moment, this country has the highest death rate in the world?

It disturbs me that so many of you have been isolated at home for ten weeks or more, and are planning on continuing for the foreseeable future.
Surely the risk to your mental health, and the lack of physical exercise and sunshine, far outweighs the risk from the virus.
There has never been anything to stop you from going out for fresh air and exercise, no matter how fragile your health, as long as you kept a safe distance from passers-by. Unless you are unlucky enough to live in a highly populated area I just don’t understand why you are blindly following a “one size fits all” instruction.

You can’t catch the virus, except by close proximity to an infected person.

Whatshisname did keep saying it was all advisory. There's so many different circumstances and situations it has to be left to individuals to judge what's best for them.

If you can access somewhere where you can walk outside without meeting too many, or preferably no people, then its fine to go out. And it seems many are like us and already have been doing so. If your situation is such that you don't feel safe doing so, then don't. The support is all still in place. Other than being able to go out of the front door, nothing has changed.

It has to be far more risky to venture out now than before lockdown.

On 23rd March we'd had 335 deaths and the daily totals were 46 more in England, 4 in Scotland and 4 in Wales. Britons abroad were advised to return home for safety.

Take a look at the Worldometer data, especially the graphs. The daily new case and death rates are much higher now:

www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/

Update this morning - the shielded in Wales are also allowed out from June 1st

We’ve been shielding since 4th March due to hubby’s diabetes and my unstable asthma. The available evidence doesn’t suggest it’s any safer out there now, than it was then. In fact the risk of contracting covid is higher now. We will be staying inside.

PS. Yes, indeed, everybody is entitled to their views. I assume you mean that you think the government has done a good job. On the other hand, I think the government, led by Johnson, has done an unsatisfactory job.