Council urges residents to register now if they are shielding to ensure access to priority supermarket slots

Although the shielding programme will be paused on July 31, people on the shielded list who register for support with essential supplies before July 17 will still be able to access priority supermarket delivery slots from this date.

This way those unable to venture out to pick up supplies will be able to use the online delivery services.

In addition, the council will be keeping a record of everyone who is shielding, so that if there is a need for lockdown again, it has the details of everyone who might need support.

Adrian Chapman, Service Director for Communities and Partnerships at Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “If you’ve been contacted by the NHS and advised that you need to shield and have not yet registered, please think about doing so, whether you need help at the moment or not.

“Registering will allow us to keep in contact with you and provide support if there is a further lockdown and will allow you to access priority supermarket delivery slots, which may be useful to you in the coming weeks and months. To access these slots, please make sure you tick the box which asks for help with accessing essential supplies when you register.

“In addition, if you have registered and told us you don’t need help with accessing food, you won’t be able to access priority supermarket slots. If you would like to be able to, please contact the national shielding programme to change your preferences.”

To register on the shielded list, or to amend your preferences, visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable or call 0800 028 8327.

In addition, the Government has confirmed this week that the majority of children currently considered extremely clinically vulnerable to coronavirus will be able to be removed from the shielded patient list from July 31.

Children will only be removed from the shielded patient list by their GP or specialist doctor following consultation with them and their families. Specialists and GPs will be asked to contact families to discuss this over the summer, so people do not need to take any immediate action.

The Government has decided to take this action following independent evidence from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, working with specialists in paediatric medicine, which shows the risk of serious illness for children and young people is low and only those with the most severe conditions should now be considered clinically extremely vulnerable.