Hi hope everyone is keeping as well as possible in this strange new world.
Has anyone any thoughts about how we will progress from shielding after the 12 weeks? Although we are coping quite well I feel life is on hold and I can’t imagine staying in this strange bubble until there is a vaccine.
Your thoughts would be much appreciated.
Thank you .
Well our last night out was Mar 16. No shops, no visits, no people. Today we took what we considered a risky visit to a garden centre. We'd not been able to get a vegetable for our garden and we went to somewhere that has just re-opened. They had distancing measures in place, only 6 people in at a time and we wore plastic gloves to dispose of before we got in the car. Contactless payment and all's well. How exciting was that?? I think we have to be very careful when lockdown eases but we are quite prepared to stay in for the rest of the year. Husband's low immune system is keeping us vigilant and will for many months to come.
We have not been past the garden wall. All food delivered and not seen friends or family . Can I ask if you received a letter. It’s hard to know how to progress but we will wait out our 12 weeks now and see.
Thank you for your reply
We keep receiving government letters but we're just going to keep on shielding as long as we can which hopefully will be long past the recommendations. We have everything delivered, we have an excellent Covid 19 team here who collect medicines and there are so many people offering help. Absolutely excellent to bring people 'together' for the good of others. There won't be a weed in the garden by the end of this that's for sure. Keep safe
Hi. I’ve been watching the news and the Gov website intently waiting for the update that was promised. I received a letter but when it runs out I will expected to return to work in a factory where there was a positive test only last week. Very nervous and honestly would rather stay shielded for a while yet!!
That must be very stressful for you .. guess all we can do is wait and see.
Hi Main1234 I Because of my low immune system myself and my wife are shielding with limitations, we are lucky we live in the middle of the Dales so social distancing is no problem so I can exercise perfectly safely, I haven’t had a letter and food deliveries are impossible so my wife does a once a week trip to a supermarket and that’s it. I spoke to my GP recently and she told me to expect another 12 weeks! I would rather do that to be honest, I don’t feel safe yet, our village has idiots that ignore all guidelines, it’s a minority but frustrates me. Just got to hang in there Buddy!
I really share your frustration when you see people blatantly ignoring the social distancing rules. One of our neighbours seems to think it doesn't apply to them. I must say you couldn't choose a better place to be holed up than the Dales. It's hard to imagine that exactly 12 months ago I was passing through it on the Coast to Coast walk. It now seems a different world
We are both shielding as well as much easier to organise. Glad you both are managing in our new world.. just taking a bit of getting used to.
Keep well and safe
Hi
The hardest part of all this is trying to buy a "Greenhouse" it's impossible they are all sold out Everywhere !
Thought everyone was Asking lol
Skint not asking
I'm surprised that with only about 4 weeks to run on the shielding letter that we haven't been given supplementary advice or recomendations. I really fear it will be much of the same until a vaccine arrives, unless there is a miraculous drop in infection rate. We've kept ourselves busy in the house and garden but we are really missing not seeing the children and grandchildren "in the flesh". We are fairly lucky in that we are close to open countryside where we can exercise relatively safely especially if you pick the the quiet times. I know we need to stay safe but I dont want that to be at the expense of physical and mental health. The spring is a lovely time to be out there.
My daughter has received her top-up instructions - but from the NHS Occy Health people I think.
She is now to shield until the 30th of June and the situation is to be kept under consideration if the situation changes.
Here in Italy things are progressing - though we never had an equivalent of shielding. The region I live in has almost no new cases now - but as of June 3rd the tourists from Germany and Asutria may come back (the bulk of our tourist industry even in summer). Hmmmm ...
Think we will go for the end of June and see what happens.
Like you I am surprised nothing has been mentioned maybe they have forgotten we are still here 😂
I believe they are reassessing the groups people should be assigned to in line with what they now know about CV - to minimise the shielding group probably. People with diabetes are obviously highish risk. As long as they remember the reason so few cases have been seen in over 70s is due to them not having been out and about! So much for "protecting the most vulnerable" - obviously staying at home has been a lot safer than being in a care home 
I received a text from the nhs last week and shielding has been extended to 30 June. Text from an nhs number.
Where did common sense go? I think the Corona virus has wiped that out.
Hi There
There are certainly so many unknowns and I can't personally see much will change by the end of June, but sticking to this routine until there is a vaccine (if there is one) is a daunting prospect.
Even if the advice changes and we are advised we can go out with limitations, if the infection rate is still high or goes higher the more lockdown is relaxed then will we feel comfortable going out, I know I won't.
I suppose all we can do is wait and hope.
Hi there ,
I hope you are well and keeping in good spirits despite of everything!
I feel the same uncertainty. I am in the very vulnerable category but also have a 14 year old son and I am not sure how it will all work out once he will go to school again after the summer. Has anyone any experience with a situation like this ? What did you do to minimise the risk of infection? We can't keep him in forever, he needs a life, same as us !
Hi Condensation
You have the same dilemma as me, I earlier posted a question about my daughter returning to school. She needs to go back not only as she is getting so behind on her studies but to see her friends again and she can't stay in with me forever but it feels such a risk at the moment. Such a difficult decision to make I know.
Before the Corona virus, I have been practising my own sort of shielding such as never touching handles with my bare hands (sleeves or tissues) when outside, washing hands thoroughly whenever possible, never using air hand dryer in public loos and staying away from tubes and etc during rush hours. So I feel I have to do the same but now with more vigilance and mask. It would be a huge relief not to have to wash milk bottles and all things coming into the house if I have to use them right away. Otherwise they sit in a corner for three days. However, some measure of this sort of vigilance will have to be constant for a very very long time. We can be as clean as possible but others outside don't and won't. That is the main challenge.
But life is for living so I will continue as best as I can and do things to enjoy life to a degree although I wouldn't go a cinema. I will just have to become OCD if not already! A bit of bickering over this with my husband.
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