Day: June 9, 2020

ICU painting captures pandemic for future generations

In fifty or a hundred years from now a stunning picture may give our descendants a glimpse into the pandemic of 2020.

Proudly hanging just outside the Intensive Care Unit of Glasgow Royal Infirmary, it depicts three NHS colleagues on the frontline in the fight against Covid-19.

The Chief Nurse for NHSGGC’s North Sector is John Stuart. He said: “Glasgow Royal has such a long and distinguished history of being a respected teaching hospital.

“It is world renowned and has as a proud history in the East End. It’s been there through World Wars, major incidents and other outbreaks – and it’s been there for Glaswegians throughout this pandemic that none of us will ever forget.

“I wanted to capture the enormity of this and approached Glasgow artist and musician Robert Miller with the idea of creating a piece of artwork, which people can look back on. I just felt we needed to capture the dedication of our amazing staff in a way that would last for future generations.

“I had been happy to pay for the picture but Robert kindly offered his services for free – even covering the framing himself.”

The picture – which is 5ft by 4ft – now takes pride of place outside the ICU where many patients have been treated for Covid-19 over the past two and a half months.

John added: “We are so grateful to Robert for creating such a beautiful picture. I think it perfectly captures our staff – anaesthetist Dr Kathryn Puxty, Physiotherapist Helen Devine and Senior Charge Nurse Suzi Madden – and will serve as a symbol of the dedication of all the staff who served in NHSGGC and gives them their place in history.”

Robert videoed himself making the painting and created a time-lapsed video accompanied by the tune “Voice of an angel”, sung by his wife May Miller.

https://we.tl/t-kOMeQ8CKYA

Robert said: “I was honoured when John asked me to create a painting to mark the work of his staff in the pandemic. The Royal has such a special place in the hearts of Glaswegians and its amazing staff have been at the heart of the city’s response to the pandemic.

“The staff are all wearing masks in the picture so it was more important for me than ever to capture their eyes well. I hope people like it and they take a minute to think of the enormity of the situation we’ve been facing. Who knows how long it will hang there, but it’s been good to be part of marking the dedication of our amazing NHS. We are truly lucky.”

Buying a bike?

Buying second-hand is a great way to get your hands on a bike for a reasonable price. If you’re looking to bag a bargain, read on for Gumtree UK‘s top tips for buying used bikes:

📑 Proof of ownership

To check everything’s above board, ask the seller to show you a receipt of purchase. You can also ask about the bike’s service history, or run the frame number through BikeRegister.

💬 Ask questions

It’s important to make sure the bike does what you need it to do, so remember to ask about: wheel size, suspension, mudguards, rack mounts and gears. Set a budget beforehand and prioritise your needs to find the best bike for you.

🚲 Research the competition

Once you’ve found a bicycle you like, check other ads to see what they’re selling for. You’ll get a fair price if you go into the sale with some knowledge of what’s out there.

🕵️‍♂️ Check the bike out

🚲 Once you’ve got the bike in front of you, check it over for damage and general wear-and-tear. Look out for: cracks in the frame, rust on the chain, worn down brake pads and any punctures on the tyres. If the seller’s happy, ask to take it for a quick test ride.

Remember to always follow the government’s guidelines for social distancing when you’re meeting sellers and wash your hands before and after touching the bike. Once you get your bicycle home, we recommend giving it a thorough clean.

Police Scotland

Airline crew lands at Sick Kids to boost staff wellbeing

Frontline workers from Edinburgh’s Sick Kids hospital are being treated to a ‘first-class lounge’ experience, thanks to a new initiative by grounded airline pilots and cabin crew.

Project Wingman is a group of airline staff who are volunteering at UK hospitals while furloughed or grounded because of the pandemic. They are offering NHS workers the chance to relax and unwind in a lounge setting similar to what first-class passengers enjoy at airports.

Now, in addition to visits to Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary, the crew has landed at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC) where they will visit the Staff Wellbeing Lounge every week for “Wingman Wednesdays”.

Over a 12-hour shift, the volunteers will provide a relaxing environment, treating staff to refreshments, snacks and friendly conversation.

The Project Wingman visits have been made possible thanks to essential funding from Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), which supports and complements the work of the RHSC.

Roslyn Neely, CEO of ECHC, said: “We are thrilled that the amazing crew from Project Wingman have now landed at the hospital and will be visiting our Wellbeing Lounge every Wednesday.

“The NHS heroes of the Sick Kids are working incredibly hard to provide first class care for children, young people and their families during this difficult time. Now more than ever we need to look after those who look after us so it’s wonderful that the aircrew volunteers are giving the hospital teams the ‘first-class lounge’ experience that they so deserve.

“This is an amazing initiative and we would like to say a huge thank you to all the Project Wingman volunteers for so generously giving up their time to support frontline workers and for helping them to relax and unwind when they need it most.”

The Edinburgh hospital visits are run and managed by Captain Paul Singleton, a pilot who has experienced the vital work of the RHSC staff first hand.

Paul said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Project Wingman was able to extend our reach into the wonderful Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital.

“My boy had a major operation at the Sick Kids and the care he received undoubtedly saved his life. When you are touched by our wonderful NHS, you never forget it. It’s a debt of gratitude I’m happy to repay.

“Our volunteers are delighted to bring our First Class Lounge experience to the world class staff at the Sick Kids. “Wingman Wednesdays” will be a lovely way to say thank you to our NHS heroes.”

Project Wingman is just one of a number of things that ECHC is funding to support hospital staff wellbeing during the pandemic.

The charity has created the Staff Wellbeing Lounge at the RHSC and is distributing Wellbeing Boxes, filled with treats and pick-me-ups – to teams at the hospital as well as other healthcare settings across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The charity is running a COVID-19 Emergency Appeal to support children, families and staff through the pandemic. Donations can be made online at https://echcharity.org/support-us/covid-19-appeal

For more information on Project Wingman: https://www.projectwingman.co.uk/

Baby loss charity’s community keep connected through virtual running

Local charity Held In Our Hearts has seen success through a series of virtual challenges through April and May to keep their community connected and raise essential funds for their work.

The charity has always had a groundswell of supporters who are keen runners, as part of Team Held In Our Hearts, and they wanted to find a way for them to stay connected as a community throughout the lockdown.

Through the month of May the challenge was #MayTheKBeWithYou for supporters to continue to get out, with the aim of completing a longer distance over the Edinburgh Marathon Festival (EMF) weekend.

The charity has now launched a new June challenge, #TheKTeam, asking supporters to see how many ‘K’ they can do and how far round the world that would be.

During what would have been the EMF weekend, 102 runners put on their charity vests, doing virtual runs in their local community, completing 1ks, 5ks, 10ks and even a marathon relay team of 4 (who ran separately at different times). In the process, they raised a wonderful £4357 over the month.

The events started on Friday morning at 6am as two supporters Stephanie and Anita were working. They braved a wet and windy early start as they wanted to make sure they could be part of something very special. A mother in law and daughter in law duo determined not to let work get in the way of their support of the charity.

Anita Baggs said about starting this special weekend with her virtual run: “On Friday morning at 6am I felt extremely proud, lucky and privileged to be starting the Virtual EMF for Held in our Hearts charity. 

“Although, it was raining and at times gale force winds it didn’t put a damper on my face!  It is such a worthwhile charity to be involved with as it supports so many people.”

Many of the participants were bereaved families who took part to remember their baby. There were also friends and family who cheered on from their garden as supporters went past on their solo runs. All the runners, walkers and cyclists continued until Sunday where they met up at the virtual tent via Zoom to celebrate the success of a great weekend.

Nicola Welsh, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Since the lockdown, we have provided over 339 hours of face to face (online) support to families individually, in couples and in groups, 126 phone calls, 873 emails and texts, which is a huge increase on what we would normally provide.

“Our team is working harder than ever to meet that increased need and is never more needed, as we are only beginning to see the traumatic impact of this crisis on families, especially those families that have experienced a loss during lockdown.

“These challenges have been such a positive way for people not only to raise awareness, but also to give a small, but much appreciated donation for our work.”

The funds that this is raising will go towards helping parents like Scott and Katy, who has been receiving support before and now during the lockdown:

“We lost our wee baby girl just before Christmas. We first met our befriender Tracy at Held in Our Hearts a few weeks before lockdown.

“Tracy was empathetic and present from the off and we felt comfortable enough in that first session to talk openly about our loss in a way that hadn’t been possible before.

“Held In Our Hearts have continued to be present for us since the lockdown, by email and most crucially over Zoom. We speak to Tracy regularly and she has been so available for us. Sometimes we talk in a light hearted way, but that connection is really important and it often opens the vital wee space we need to talk through our feelings about our grief and what it means for our future.

“While there is no replacement for being present in a room with someone, the fact that Held In Our Hearts are continuing to connect with us, and people like us, is invaluable … Held in Our Hearts have helped us feel so much less alone in our situation, and have helped us understand the feelings of failure and individual culpability that can be torturous at this time … We are very grateful for their continuing support, and that they are out there supporting other families at this time.”

Tracy Watt, Fundraising Manager, says of the current situation: “Like many charities, we have seen our income streams hugely affected by the Covid-19 crisis with many spring and summer sports and challenge events cancelled.

We wanted to create challenges that would bring our community together, giving a focus and helping boost their mental health, while we all remain in lockdown. Our next challenge for June, #TheKTeam is available to anyone, any age and any fitness and we are so grateful for everyone that has got involved so far and help provide much needed funds for us to continue supporting bereaved parents, like Scott and Katy, in the community.”

In order to take part, the charity is asking for a £5 donation and people can also encourage others to donate in support of their challenge.

If people prefer they can also just text KTEAM to 70085 where they can donate £5 to help our work.

Cyrenians delivers over one million meals during covid19 outbreak

  • Cyrenians FareShare depot quadruples output due to increased demand, delivering over 419 tonnes of food – approximately 1 million meals worth of food – since March
  • Making use of FareShare produce, the Community Cook School, having been converted into a production kitchen, is cooking roughly 5000 healthy, freezer-ready meals a week

 

In Leith’s Jane Street, two converted warehouses are currently responsible for supporting hundreds of people impacted from covid-19: from frontline workers separated from families, to elderly people and families across central and south east Scotland suffering the injustice of food poverty.

Before covid19, the Cyrenians’ depot, operated in partnership with FareShare, was delivering around 50 tonnes of food a month. Across the road, their Community Cook School provided classes to those at-risk of, or with experience of, homelessness, and hosted a series of popular supper clubs to help support the charity.

The impact of the pandemic has placed all communities under increasing pressure, and as a result demand for services has soared. Since March, the depot has quadrupled its output, delivering over 419 tonnes of food to charities and community groups across Central and South East Scotland – approximately ONE MILLION meals worth of food.

The Community Cook School, having been converted into a production kitchen, is cooking roughly 5000 healthy, freezer-ready meals a week, making use of FareShare produce, as well as generous donations from the food industry across the city.

It’s not only the staff at the charity making this remarkable work happen – what makes all this possible is the incredible generosity of volunteers who have pitched in and shared their skills to better support our communities.

From Scottish chef John and others currently on furlough, to local 100-year-old baker Margaret; from long-term volunteer Priscila, to first-year international student Julian – the charity’s quick response has been greatly aided by a wealth of local talent and compassion.

Priscila (above) volunteers 1-2 days a week at the cook school – a place she has gotten to know well over the past year, using her love of cooking and in-depth knowledge of nutrition to ‘give back to the community’ in whatever way she could:

“I started volunteering last year at the supper clubs at the cook school, and when those stopped because of lockdown I immediately wanted to see if there was a way I could help out. You can really see the difference Cyrenians makes.

!I absolutely love cooking and being in the kitchen, and by helping out this way, I can see the real impact that just one individual can make”

Julian is a first-year international student from Zimbabwe at the University of Edinburgh, and was very happy to get involved:

“I started in late March when the pandemic hit – it’s been a great way to give something back, as well as a reason to get out of my room!

“I’ve gotten some other students involved too, some of whom were struggling with feeling contained all day, and they told me that ‘this is the best thing you could have ever done’ to help. Getting outside and helping out is doing us a huge amount of good – the team at the depot are some of the nicest people i’ve ever met, and it’s great to be part of it.”

Ewan Aitken, CEO, said: “The response from across Scotland to this crisis has been both staggering and humbling. Community groups and voluntary organisations have played a key role in Scotland’s response to this crisis, working together and making use of long-standing local connections.

“We have only achieved so much because of those communities and community connections. None of this would have been possible without the compassion and incredible generosity of spirit we’ve seen – I would like to extend a thank you from myself and from everyone at Cyrenians to those communities in all their diversity who have come together in such a difficult period to make sure that people get what they need.”

There are those also who have been unable to leave their home, but determined to make a difference while keeping busy.

Local 100-year old volunteer Margaret has been baking a variety of loaves to include in the deliveries, with support from her local community to get ingredients:

“Baking is helping me keep busy right now, I’m not very mobile so can’t get out and about, but people have been dropping me off flour and sugar which is so lovely. I can’t sew, read or knit right now as I need to see the opticians but they’re all shut. I’ve mainly been baking from memory – I’ve not had any complaints so far so they must be okay!”

Demand for these services has far outstripped anything the charity has ever encountered before, and is likely to continue long-after this pandemic. There is a very high risk of more people being driven into poverty and placed at risk of homelessness by the impact of covid19[1].

More people are faced with restricted incomes, dependents to support, finding it more difficult to pay for essentials like food and housing.

This crisis has shone a light on already-present issues in society. Voluntary groups and charities have played a vital role in the emergency response, and will continue to do so in delivering support while developing long-term solutions to build back better.

Carers Champion: Together let’s ‘Make Caring Visible’ in 2020

Edinburgh’s Depute Lord Provost and Carers Champion, Councillor Joan Griffiths, writes on National Carers Week:

This is the start of national carers week and never more than now has caring for others been so discussed and quite rightly recognised as being so incredibly important.

This year’s theme is ‘Making Caring Visible’, which is very appropriate as we need to also recognise the incredible contribution unpaid carers are making to our society in what are currently extremely challenging circumstances.

I would like to give my heartful thanks to the estimated 65,084 unpaid carers living in Edinburgh – 13.7% of the city’s population. What’s really important is acknowledging the hard work and dedication of every person carrying out this role as well as identifying and making sure that everyone caring for a loved one is given the support they need for their own health and wellbeing.

Unpaid carers are people of all ages who look after family members, partners, friends or neighbours due to their physical and mental health needs. Often, the person could not live in their own home unsupported without this care. It’s not unusual for an unpaid carer to be looking after someone for some time and not realise that is what they are doing. 

This year, people across the country are continuing to face new challenges as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Many people are taking on more caring responsibilities for their relatives and friends who are disabled, ill or older who need support. 

If this applies to you, I want you to know that you can receive help, support and advice from a range of different carer organisations and services in Edinburgh.

Usually, this support can be provided face to face with a carer support worker but at the moment we are living in unprecedented times and this has to be offered on the phone or by video conference following government guidance.

What’s important though is that help is still available and carer organisations would be delighted to speak to anyone who thinks they are caring for a loved one in this way. There is a lot of support available such as access to relevant information and learning and social opportunities. Alternatives to short breaks under the current circumstances can be discussed as well as counselling services and help with finances.

Unpaid carers are also entitled to request an Adult Carer Support Plan or a Young Carers Statement and again these can be completed over the phone or by video conference.

Each day this week well be highlighting different themes including carers, information and advice, carer health and wellbeing, short breaks, young carers and personalising support for carers.

Over the course of this week I would appeal to everyone to share this information as widely as you can through your own networks and social media if you have it. This will help us to make sure that our unpaid carers can access the help and support that they need, now and in the future. Together let’s ‘Make Caring Visible’ in 2020.

If you need support with your caring role or would like to talk to someone please contact the Edinburgh Carer Support team on 0131 536 3371. They will be able to support you directly or connect you to the relevant service.

You can also contact them online at https://www.edinburghhsc.scot/support-for-carers/further-support-for-carers/.

 Further information for unpaid carers during the current coronavirus pandemic can be found at https://www.edinburghhsc.scot/coronavirus-information/carers/.

This contribution first appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News

Prime Minister speaks out on Black Lives Matter

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s message on Black Lives Matter:

The death of George Floyd took place thousands of miles away – in another country, under another jurisdiction – and yet we simply cannot ignore the depth of emotion that has been triggered by that spectacle, of a black man losing his life at the hands of the police.

In this country and around the world his dying words – I can’t breathe – have awakened an anger and a widespread and incontrovertible, undeniable feeling of injustice, a feeling that people from black and minority ethnic groups do face discrimination: in education, in employment, in the application of the criminal law.

And we who lead and who govern simply can’t ignore those feelings because in too many cases, I am afraid, they will be founded on a cold reality.

Yes, I am proud to lead the most ethnically diverse government in the history of this country, with two of the four great offices of state held by a man and a woman of Indian origin; and yes, I am proud of the work I began to lead more than ten years ago to recruit and promote more young black people, in the police and other walks of life.

This country has made huge strides. I remember the 1970s, and the horror of the National Front. I truly believe that we are a much, much less racist society than we were, in many ways far happier and better.

But we must also frankly acknowledge that there is so much more to do – in eradicating prejudice, and creating opportunity, and the government I lead is committed to that effort.

And so I say yes, you are right, we are all right, to say Black Lives Matter; and to all those who have chosen to protest peacefully and who have insisted on social distancing – I say, yes of course I hear you, and I understand.

But I must also say that we are in a time of national trial, when for months this whole country has come together to fight a deadly plague.

After such sacrifice, we cannot now let it get out of control.

It is BAME communities who have been at the forefront of the struggle against coronavirus – whether in health care or transport or social care or any of the other essential services that have kept our country going.

And it is BAME communities, tragically, that have paid a disproportionate price.

So no, I will not support those who flout the rules on social distancing, for the obvious reason that we risk a new infection at a critical time and just as we have made huge progress.

And no, I will not support or indulge those who break the law, or attack the police, or desecrate public monuments.

We have a democracy in this country. If you want to change the urban landscape, you can stand for election, or vote for someone who will.

And so I must say clearly that those who attack public property or the police –who injure the police officers who are trying to keep us all safe – those people will face the full force of the law; not just because of the hurt and damage they are causing, but because of the damage they are doing to the cause they claim to represent.

They are hijacking a peaceful protest and undermining it in the eyes of many who might otherwise be sympathetic.

And as a society, we can and must do better.

This month, on the 22nd of June, we celebrate the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948, and we remember the contribution of the Afro-Caribbean workers – in the NHS and across all public services – who helped to rebuild this country after the war.

And today, once again, we face a great task: to relaunch this country after Coronavirus. So let’s work peacefully, lawfully, to defeat racism and discrimination wherever we find it, and let us continue to work together across all the communities of this country, as we put Britain back on its feet.

Newsletter deliveries resume this morning

Volunteers will be hitting local streets once again today to deliver the NEN Coronavirus special edition newsletter across North Edinburgh.

An enthusiastic team of volunteers delivered thousands of newsletters across Drylaw and Telford, Muirhouse, Salvesen, West Pilton, Granton and Royston Wardieburn last week, and a final push will see the last of the newsletters delivered this week.

If you would like to lend a hand – full guidance and protective equipment will be issued – teams will be leaving from the following locations from Tuesday – Thursday this week:

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Groathill Road North at 11am

Fresh Start, Ferry Road Drive at 11am

Pilton Community Health Project, Boswall Parkway at 11am

Ainslie Park Leisure Centre car park, Pilton Drive North at 2pm

The newsletter contains helpful information and key telephone numbers to help local people get through the pandemic.

The North Edinburgh Covid-19 Foodshare coalition would like to thank our magnicent volunteers who have done so much to support the community dring these most difficult of times.

Thanks also to the following organisations for their terrfic support:

Funders:

Cash for Kids,

Inspiring Scotland,

North Edinburgh Community Councils,

Muirhouse Housing Association,

Pilton Central Association (PCA),

SCVO,

STV Appeal,

The National Lottery for Communities,

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

Cairn Energy

Cramond FC

Edinburgh City Council

Lindsay’s Charitable Trust

Martin Lewis Foundation

Murray Foundation

National Emergencies Trust

Neighbourly Community Fund

Places for People Foundation

Port of Leith Housing Association

Queensberry House Trust

Richardson and Starling

Scottish Government

Stewart Investors.

Food, supplies and support have kindly been donated by:

Baillie Gifford, Chand & Co Group,

Edinburgh Academy,

Fettes College,

Mathieson’s the butchers,

Morrisons,

PrepTable Scotland,

Porto & Fi cafe,

Scottish Gas,

Social Bite,

Tesco,

TB McKay Energy Supplies

Investec

Neighbourly Community Fund.

We couldn’t do it without you – THANK YOU ALL !

 

First Minister: ‘We will not forget you’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday (Monday 8 June):

Good afternoon. My update today will be a bit longer than normal as I have important information to convey, including on shielding.

But first I’ll give an update on the key statistics in relation to Covid-19.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,639 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 18 from yesterday.

A total of 1,042 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total increase of 40 from yesterday, including an increase of 9 in the number of confirmed cases in hospital.

A total of 24 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus. That is a decrease of 1 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,799 patients who had tested positive and required hospital treatment for the virus have been able to leave hospital.

And in the last 24 hours, 0 deaths were registered of patients confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 –the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, therefore remains at 2,415.

This is the second day in a row that no deaths have been registered in the preceding 24 hours. This is obviously very encouraging. I can’t tell how much I have longed to report such a development – and I know you will have longed to hear that. 

But even so, we must still exercise caution. We know from previous weeks that fewer deaths tend to be registered at weekends – so it is still highly likely that more Covid deaths will be recorded in the days ahead. But I very much hope we continue to see a steady decline.

As always, I want to stress that the figures I have been reporting over the last few weeks are not simply statistics. They represent individuals whose loss is a source of sorrow to many. My deepest condolences are with everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to express my thanks to our health and care workers for the incredible work that you continue to do in very testing circumstances.

And today I want to convey a special message – from my heart – to everyone watching. I want to take a moment to thank you for the sacrifices you have made in recent weeks.

I know how painful many of these sacrifices have been – not being able to see family, especially grandchildren, or attend funerals of loved ones, or celebrate special occasions.

These are times in our lives that we don’t get back.

And the experience – the worry and the loneliness – of these weeks will live with all of us forever. That is true for everyone – but it is and will continue to be especially so for those in the shielded category who I will address directly in a moment.

I want all of you – shielded or not – to know that I am acutely aware of this in every single decision I take. And there are no words that will ever adequately express the sorrow I feel for all you have gone through – or indeed the gratitude for the way you have borne it.

I also know that as you listen to me report statistics that are now going in a positive direction, you will be asking if these sacrifices remain necessary.

And as you witness some people, even just a minority, not abiding by the rules, I suspect you may be also asking ‘why should I bother?’ I understand all of that. I really do. And I share the frustration at times.

But sticking with it for a bit longer really does matter. These painful but necessary sacrifices have brought us to where we are today – with this virus in retreat.

In retreat, but not gone. And still posing a real risk, especially to the most clinically vulnerable.

And that’s the key point I want to make to you today. This is such a crucial juncture in our battle against the virus. We will either keep going, keep beating it back – or we will give it the chance to roar back with a vengeance.

We must do the former. If we break the chains of transmission even more and drive down the number of new cases to a lower base, the safer it will be to more meaningfully ease the restrictions and speed up our journey back to some normality.

And if we do keep making the progress we have in the last few weeks, I am optimistic that 10 days from now at the next formal review, we will be able to move, at least in part, into the next phase of our routemap out of lockdown, with more individual freedoms restored and more businesses able to open up and operate again.

But that depends on all of us. So please stick with it. Every day we do, brings us closer to getting back to a form of normality. But today I want to thank each and every one of you for all of those sacrifices you have been making.

The main – and difficult – issue I want to talk about today is shielding. I want to give as much of an update as I can for the approximately 180,000 people across Scotland who have been shielding – because we know you are at greatest risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from this virus.

Our initial advice in March was for you to shield until the 18th of June and I know you are anxious about what happens next.

This is not an easy update to give – and I know it will not be an easy one for you to hear – but it is important that we set out for you our current expectations at this stage. You will receive a letter from the Chief Medical Officer shortly with the information I am about to give.

The advice for you to shield has been necessary to protect you from harm – and for now it remains so – but I am well aware that such a long period of isolation causes its own harms and distress.

For all of these reasons we want, as soon as we possibly can, to move to a better position where we can give you more tailored advice on the risks associated with your specific condition – and then set out what you can do to mitigate these risks and how we can support you to live more normally.

However to do that properly and safely, we need more clinical and scientific evidence than we have right now. I will say more about that in a few moments.

For the moment, despite the progress that has been made in reducing levels of Covid in the community, the virus still poses a very significant threat to you. I am afraid, therefore, that our recommendation at this stage is that you should continue to shield until 31 July.

We are however likely to amend our current guidance so that from next week you can go outside to exercise. I will say more about that shortly.

The support you currently receive will of course still be available. At present, more than 50,000 shielding people receive free weekly grocery boxes, and 46,000 have registered for priority online delivery with supermarkets. That is in addition to the services local pharmacists are providing, and the help given by local authorities and the third sector.  All of those services will continue – and even if you haven’t needed them up until now, you can still access them.

I promise you, and I want to say this very directly and very sincerely to you, I promise you we are not going to forget about you between now and the end of July.

During that period, we will consider on an ongoing basis whether further easing is possible. And if we can bring shielding in its current form to an end earlier than the end of July, we will do so. But we judge it is better to give you the clarity of a backstop date now.

And please be assured that we are working hard to provide a more tailored approach for you – so that from the end of July at the latest, you can enjoy more normality in your life.

We know that not every person who is shielding faces exactly the same risk.

So we are working to develop tools that allow you and your clinicians to take into account your specific condition –  and also other factors, like your age or ethnicity – in order to give you a better sense of the risks you face.

As part of that, we are also looking for ways to help you understand the changing risk of infection in your local area.

Once this evidence is available, we will start providing more specific advice for you, so that you can understand the safest ways to go back to a more normal life. We are working on this with clinicians and scientific advisers across the 4 nations of the UK.

It is worth stressing that some of the issues here are complex – and new clinical evidence is becoming available constantly – however we hope to make this more detailed advice available over the next few weeks.

Before then – for the period from 18 June onwards – we have been considering what steps we can safely take.

We now know that the risk of catching Covid outdoors, if you stay 2 metres apart from other people, is relatively low.

And so we currently expect that from Thursday 18 June, anybody who is shielding, unless they live in a nursing or residential care home, will be able to go outdoors for exercise. There will be no limit to how long or how often you can go out each day.

We hope that this will provide some boost for your quality of life – particularly if you live in a home which doesn’t have a garden, or which has limited space – without greatly increasing the risks you face.

Assuming that this change goes ahead – and I currently expect that to be the case – you’ll be able to go out for exercise; for example a walk, wheel, run or cycle.

However you should stay two metres away from others while you’re out.

We will not recommend yet that you take part in sports such as golf or tennis.

And you should still avoid meeting up with other households, even in a physically distanced setting. I know that that in particular is really  hard, but we want to avoid the possibility of creating additional risks.

For people who live in nursing or residential care homes – I am afraid that any change to the guidance on exercise from 18 June, will not yet apply to you.  We will change our advice for you as soon as we can confidently do so.

In relation to education, we have already published guidance to clarify that children who are shielding should not be expected to return until it is safe. Instead, they should be supported to receive education at home or in a way that best meets their needs

And in relation to work, the starting point for everyone – regardless of whether or not you are shielding – should be that you work from home where possible

But if you are shielding, you are not expected to return to a workplace until at least 31 July. And I want to be clear that employers should do everything they can to help you to work from home safely. Nobody should be penalised for following medical guidance.

Before I finish, I want to acknowledge that the support made available to people who are shielding is only possible because different organisations have worked together. That includes national and local government, the third sector, supermarkets and wholesalers, and the NHS.

And these services depend on a lot of hard work from a lot of people – for example the staff in local authority assistance centres, delivery drivers, volunteers and many others. I want to say thank you to all of them.

I also know that for anyone who lives with someone who is shielding, this has been a very stressful time. I want to particularly acknowledge the support that you will have been providing, in incredibly difficult circumstances.

And of course most of all, I want to say thank you to those of you who are shielding.

I don’t know, from my own personal experience, just how difficult this has been for you, so I’m not going to pretend to you that I do, but I can imagine how difficult this has been.

I know that many of you listening today will be very disappointed that shielding is to continue for some time yet. I want to assure you though that this is not a decision we take lightly – it weighs heavily on all of us, including on me.

But it is for your protection. And I hope that our advice on exercise, should it come into force next week as I expect, will make a difference for many of you.

I also promise that we will ease our guidance again before the end of July  – if we are confident we can do so safely. And I guarantee that in the weeks ahead, you will continue to be absolutely central to our thinking.

I want to conclude just by emphasizing again our key public health guidance for all people outside the shielding group.

You should still be staying home most of the time, and you should still be meeting fewer people than normal.

When you do meet people from another household, you must stay outdoors, and you must stay 2 metres apart from them.

Don’t meet with more than one other household at a time, don’t meet more than one a day – and keep to a maximum of 8 people in a group.

Wash your hands often. Take hand sanitiser if you are out and about.

Wear a face covering when you are in shops or on public transport.

Avoid touching hard surfaces – and clean any you do touch.

And if you have the symptoms of Covid-19 you must get tested, and follow the advice on self-isolation.

Above all else, please remember that the decisions you take as an individual, affect the health and wellbeing of us all.

If we all do the right thing, then we will continue to slow the spread of this virus and we will save lives. And we will bring forward much closer that day when all of us can continue to get back to some normality.

So my thanks again to all of you, my thanks in particular to those watching in the shielded category. I know how difficult what I have just reported to you will be, but let me repeat that promise – that we have not and will not forget you.