Shielding is expected to end for another four million people in England on March 31, according to the new out-of-lock roadmap.
The 68-page document published by Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlines several key dates between March 8 and June 21 when coronavirus regulations in England will be lifted.
The government says the rules will be relaxed at these times if the figures allow – including vaccines, hospitals and deaths.
This month an additional 1.7 million people in England have been told to go under the wing – as they have been identified as clinically vulnerable.
The shield list includes people with underlying health conditions, such as certain cancers and those who have received organ transplants, reports The Mirror.
Shielding means you should avoid contact with others where possible, and stay at home as much as you can – stay away from work and shopping.
The roadmap states: “The Government expects that it will no longer be necessary to provide advice on flying beyond the end of March 2021.
“The Government will provide advice and next steps closer to the time to keep extremely vulnerable people safe.”
Skiers can still go out for exercise or attend health meetings but are advised to reduce contact with others and avoid busy areas.
They should not meet anyone outside their support bubble and try to stay two meters away from people even inside their house.
They can still meet one other person at a safe distance outside in an open space such as a park.
A new tool has identified those at high risk of serious illness or death.
As a result, an additional 1.7 million people in England will be sent letters asking for a shield.
There are currently around 2.2 million people on the list in England, which will expand to nearly four million when the extra people are added.
More than 800,000 of these are aged between 19 and 69 and will be prioritized for the vaccination program, the Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed.
The current shield list includes people with single risk factors such as those with various cancers, people on immunosuppressive drugs or those with severe respiratory conditions.
But as the pandemic has progressed, pharmacists have found that some people are at higher risk than others because of a number of risk factors.
Using medical records, the new tool assesses who is at higher risk based on a number of factors including age, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), other health conditions and also a postcode, which is an indication of poverty rates.
Dr Jenny Harries, England’s deputy chief medical officer, said the 1.7 million, if they join the list, will receive the extra support available to those deemed clinically vulnerable. including medical delivery, priority slots for supermarkets and statutory sick pay.
“All of those people who are identified for the first time are those who have not had an individual clinical condition that we could previously identify through the clinically vulnerable group, but they are are people who have a number of personal and underlying risk factors. health conditions that move them to a higher risk group, ”she said.
Dr Harries said the approach was “risk averse” to “protect so many people”.
Officials advise the shield will continue until March 31.