Government’s timetable for summer and autumn
Below you can see the Government’s timetable for the next couple of months:
- On 19th July, most legal restrictions will end, removing social distancing and social contact restrictions and enabling remaining businesses to reopen – read what you can and cannot do
- By the end of July, the government will publish an updated Covid-19 outbreak management framework for local areas
- On 16th August, the rules on self-isolating will change for people who are fully vaccinated and for the under 18s
- In September, the government will undertake a review to assess the country’s preparedness for the autumn and winter; they will consider whether to continue the post-19th July rules or strengthen the public and business guidance.
Government guidance for Step 4
The Government is promoting the following guidance while the prevalence of the virus remains high:
- whilst the government is no longer instructing people to work from home if they can, the Government is expecting and recommending a gradual return over the summer
- the Government expects and recommends that people wear face coverings in crowded areas such as public transport
- they are encouraging people to spend time outside or to let in fresh air
- they are recommending that people minimise the number, proximity and duration of social contacts
- they are encouraging and supporting businesses and large events to use the NHS COVID Pass in high-risk settings
The Government’s video which outlines this is on Facebook or Twitter.
Local Public Health recommendations for Step 4
- Meeting people outdoors or in well-ventilated places
- Keeping a polite distance from others
- Wearing a face mask in crowded places
- Washing your hands thoroughly and often.
There is messaging via a vlog from Jyoti Atri, Director of Public Health for Cambridgeshire County Council on the County Council’s Facebook or Twitter posts.
Vulnerable people
Whilst the Government is moving away from legal restrictions, Government has published updated guidance on protecting people who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) to Covid-19. The guidance comes into effect on Monday (19th July). The guidance advises CEV people, as a minimum, to follow the same guidance as everyone else. However, it also notes that CEV people who are at a higher risk of serious illness if they were to catch Covid-19, may wish to think carefully about additional precautions. The Government guidance sets out a number of suggested measures for CEV people to consider, related to socialising, vaccinations, work and travel.
We know that many Clinically Extremely Vulnerable people are anxious about this next step, so it is worth highlighting a key study on immunosuppressed and immunocompromised groups. Public Health England looked at more than a million people in at-risk groups and found that those that are immunosuppressed have significantly better protection from symptomatic infection following the second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Cambourne drop-in vaccination clinic this Sunday – and more locations
A reminder that the drop-in vaccination clinic is happening in Cambourne on Sunday, from 10am to 4pm. There are posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
AstraZeneca and Pfizer will both be available (and offered based on age), and people can attend for their first dose or second dose (second doses only available if people had their first dose on or before 23 May – eight weeks ago).
Information about all other drop-in vaccination clinics is available via Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group’s dedicated webpage, or by following them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.