You will have received (or will be receiving very shortly) a letter from the Government advising you that as someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, to protect your health you should:

• Stay at home
• If you can work from home then do, if you can’t work from home then DON’T go to work (please continue to read this letter for further information on Statutory Sick Pay)
• Do not go shopping or go to pharmacies
• Exercise outdoors where it is safe to do so
• You should also try to stay 2 metres away from other people within your household, especially if they display symptoms of the virus or have been advised to self-isolate
• Continue to attend your medical appointments that support your underlying health conditions

We know that for some people, following this advice this can make life very difficult which is why we offer support to those who need it.

During previous lockdowns you had some help with things like accessing food and shopping, prescriptions and other things like befriending and wellbeing support.

Similar support is available again, if you would like help during this new lockdown please call us on 0344 8008020 or email info@norfolk.gov.uk stating “CEV Support” in the subject title of your email.

Other things to think about / services that are available to help you stay safe are:

• To help you avoid shops, you are eligible for priority slots for supermarket home deliveries. To get a priority slot, you will need to register for the National Shielding Support Service here https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-shielding-support who will share your information with supermarkets, and enable you to receive important updates quickly – if you need help to register, please call us on 0344 8008020. You will also need to register with your preferred supermarket as an online customer, and they will email you to say these slots are open to you.
• If you need help with a prescription delivery, please go to https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/care-support-and-health/health-and-wellbeing/adults-health/coronavirus/community-support-for-people-at-home/medicines-and-prescriptions
• If you need to provide evidence to your employers that you cannot attend work (because you have a job which means you can’t work from home) the letter you will be sent by the Government telling you that you are extremely vulnerable, is the evidence you will need to claim statutory sick pay

The government letter also provides evidence that you will need to claim Universal Tax Credits, if applicable, during this time.

If you are suffering from financial hardship as a result of the Coronavirus and are struggling to pay for everyday essentials, the Norfolk Assistance Scheme may be able to help please call us on 0344 8008020.

Key messages for all Norfolk residents during this lockdown period are:

• It is important that everyone does what they can to stay safe when out and about – this includes keeping hands clean, wearing a face covering and keeping 2m apart from those from other households whenever possible.
• Continue to buy just the groceries that you usually would – there is no need to buy more and most food shops are staying open
• Please remember that the NHS is open, and we urge you to continue to access all the NHS services that you need. It is safer for you to use the NHS than to try to manage alone.

If you are concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on your health, speak to your GP, hospital clinician or use NHS 111.