Clinically Extremely Vulnerable to "consider very carefully" forming Christmas Bubble
From December 26 CEV people who are working and are unable to do so form home are advised not to attend their place of work.
Last updated 23rd Dec 2020
Updated advise by the Department of Health states the safest option for Clinically Extremely Vulnerable people is not to form a Christmas Bubble.
What advise has changed?
The DOH has updated it’s advised about forming Christmas bubbles and working from home.
In a statement the DOH said CEV people are reminded to consider very carefully any plans for a Christmas Bubble over the festive period.
It said the safest option is not to form a Christmas bubble and avoid attending shops, pharmacies and hospitality settings unless absolutely necessary.
However, if you do not follow this advice and decide that you wish to meet with family over the festive period this should be for as short a time as possible with very strict precautions.
The DOH has also updated guidance on CEV people who are working and are unable to do so from home.
Until now, CEV people had been advised that they should work from home if possible, and only attend work if proper measures and social distancing are in place.
However, from December 26 CEV people who are working and are unable to do so from home are advised not to attend their place of work.
This advice will be in place for six weeks initially, with a review after four weeks in line with the review of restrictions more generally.
The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride has written to everyone on the CEV list to advise them of this change in advice.
He said: “The new variant of the virus, coupled with the pressure that our HSC services are experiencing, mean that the risks associated with Covid-19 are elevated.
“This strengthened advice is intended to offer enhanced protection from Covid-19 to the most vulnerable people in our society.
“It is not a return to shielding as we knew it at the outset of the pandemic. We are not advising CEV people to stay permanently indoors, and I would encourage CEV people to continue to go outside for exercise, provided they observe social distancing when they do so”.
The DOH has stressed that this update is advice only and that people are free to make their own judgements about whether they should attend work, depending on the Covid-security of their working environment.
What do I do if I can’t work from home?
The CMO has written to everyone on the CEV list to advise them of this change in advice.
The updated advice is available to access on the NI Direct website.
Anyone who cannot attend work due to this advice will be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay, as was the case when shielding was introduced at the at the start of the pandemic.
According to the DOH the letter from the CMO is evidence for employers and affected employees do not need to get a fit note from their GP.
Children who were previously shielding can continue to attend school.
Professional advice (from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health) based on the evidence that has grown throughout the pandemic is that children are significantly less prone to serious forms of Covid than adults.