Updated guidance for the clinically extremely vulnerable has officially been issued today by the UK government.
Ministers and health officials are urging those who are classed as such to take further precautions on top of the new national lockdown measures.
The newly-updated guidance comes ahead of the four-week national lockdown in England – announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a direct address to MPs in the House of Commons last Saturday evening – which is due to be voted on in Parliament today and will take effect from 0.01 GMT on Thursday 5th November.
The guidance is urging medically vulnerable individuals to stay as home as much as possible and avoid all non-essential travel out of the home, but unlike the previous shielding advice, exercise is still permitted, and they should still attend routine medical appointments unless told otherwise by a doctor.
Those considered extremely clinically vulnerable will be receiving a letter in the post with new updated advice.
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Others living in a household with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable are not advised to follow this guidance however, and should instead continue to attend work and school in accordance with the general advice and regulations set out.
National restrictions will apply in England from 5 November until 2 December.
You must stay at home, with a limited set of exemptions. After 4 weeks we will look to return to a local and regional approach, based on the latest data. https://t.co/shgzOurdZCpic.twitter.com/7j9DDayqxr
People who are defined as clinically extremely vulnerable are at very high risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) and there are two ways in which a person may be identified as clinically extremely vulnerable:
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You have one or more of the conditions listed below, or
Your hospital clinician or GP has added you to the Shielded Patients List because, based on their clinical judgement, they deem you to be at higher risk of serious illness if you catch the virus.
According to the guidance, adults with the following conditions are automatically deemed to be clinically extremely vulnerable:
Solid organ transplant recipients
Those with specific cancers:
People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy.
People with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy.
People with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as Leukaemia, Lymphoma or Myeloma who are at any stage of treatment.
People having Immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer.
People having other targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors.
People who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last six months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs.
Those with severe respiratory conditions including all Cystic Fibrosis, severe asthma and severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Those with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), Homozygous Sickle Cell Disease, etc).
Those on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.
Adults with Down’s Syndrome.
Adults on dialysis or with Chronic Kidney Disease (Stage 5).
Pregnant women with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.
Other people who have also been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of their needs, and GPs and hospital clinicians have been provided with guidance to support these decisions.
The updated guidance, which clinically extremely vulnerable individuals are strongly urged to follow in addition to national measures, includes:
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Socialising
Those classed as clinically extremely vulnerable should stay at home as much as possible, except to go outdoors for exercise – which can be done with those they live with or in their support bubble – or to attend health appointments.
They should try to keep all contact with others to a minimum and avoid busy areas.
Whenever they do go out, they should continue to maintain strict social distancing, wash their hands regularly and avoid touching their face, as well as try to stay two metres away from other people within your household, especially if they display symptoms of the virus or have been advised to self-isolate.
Work
If those classed as clinically extremely vulnerable cannot work from home, they should not attend work.
They may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme during this period of national measures.
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People in the same household who are not clinically extremely vulnerable can still attend work, in line with the new national restrictions.
We will get through this – but we must act now to contain the spread of coronavirus.
It is my sincere hope and belief that by taking tough action now, we can allow families across the country to be together. pic.twitter.com/81yGUSYcB7
As evidence has shown there is a very low risk of children becoming very unwell from COVID-19, most children originally on the shielded patient list now no longer need to be and can therefore still attend school.
Parents who are unsure should contact their child’s usual GP or hospital clinician to check whether they should still be considered clinically extremely vulnerable.
If a GP or clinician has advised that a child should remain on the shielded patient list, they are advised not to attend school, but children who live with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, but aren’t themselves, should still attend school.
Travel
Those classed as clinically extremely vulnerable should avoid all non-essential travel.
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They should however continue to travel to hospital and GP appointments unless told otherwise by their doctor.
They are strongly advised not to go to any shops or pharmacies, but should they need help to travel to an appointment, they are encouraged to speak to their healthcare professional to arrange transport support with NHS Volunteer Responders.
For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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Trams are officially coming to Stockport as part of £2.5bn investment package
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Stockport is finally getting trams.
It’s been a long time coming, so long, in fact, that rumours first began swirling all the way back in July 2022 when then Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinted at in PMQs, all before Mayor Andy Burnham insisted in October 2023 that he had ‘big ambitions’ to deliver the project once and for all, but now it’s finally been confirmed.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has today revealed that Stockport will be connected to the Metrolink tram network thanks to a £2.5 billion funding boost from the Government.
At this moment in time, Stockport is one of only a few boroughs in the region that’s not currently connected up to the expansive Metrolink network, but all of that is set to change very soon, as Greater Manchester is beginning the construction of the town’s very-first tram line.
It will help deliver:
🐝 Eight rail lines and 64 stations into the capped system by 2028
🐝 A new tram line to Stockport
🐝 A new tram-train service connecting Bury, Heywood, Rochdale and Oldham
While the intention for trams to eventually travel to and from the town has been known for quite some time now, there hasn’t been much talk of timelines or when this would actually become a reality.
For now, it seems there’s still no timelines as such, but at least there’s confirmation.
The confirmation that trams will be coming to Stockport forms part of a lineup of exciting transport announcements this week, all of which Andy Burnham has called a ‘game-changing moment’ that will ‘underpin Greater Manchester’s green growth’ for years to come.
Trams are officially coming to Stockport as part of a £2.5 billion investment package / Credit: TfGM
Other announcements include the fact that Greater Manchester‘s Bee Network is to become a fully-electric, zero-emission public transport system by 2030, local rail lines will be brought into the Bee Network before the end of the decade, fully joining up bike, bus, tram, and train travel for the first time outside London, and the introduction of new electric buses, tram lines, tram stops, and transport interchanges.
North Manchester, Bury, and Oldham are the areas set to receive new Metrolink stops to support delivery of thousands of new homes, and Oldham, Rochdale, Heywood, and Bury will all be connected to each other via the Bee Network.
“Building on our strong track record, we can now move at pace to deliver the next phase of the Bee Network – creating the UK’s first fully electric, zero emission integrated public transport system by 2030,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham as the funding package was announced this week.
The Bee Network become a fully-electric, zero-emission public transport system by 2030 / Credit: TfGM
“With a pipeline of major transport projects better connecting our towns and cities, and local rail lines brought into the Bee Network, our communities will be the first outside London to be served by fully joined-up bike, bus, tram, and train travel.
“Greater Manchester has had a decade of growth faster than the UK average, and this funding can be the key to unlocking even more growth in the decade to come.
“It’s a major boost for our own plans to deliver £10bn of investment over the next 10 years, build thousands of new homes, create skilled jobs, and open up new opportunities right across our city-region.”
Featured Image – TfGM
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Police still searching for answers six months after remains of baby girl found in Little Hulton park
Emily Sergeant
Six months on after the remains of a baby girl were found in a park in Little Hulton, police are still searching for answers.
It was on 20 November 2024 that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) received a call from a member of the public reporting the discovery of what appeared to be human remains in a park in the Little Hulton area of Salford – but it was only when officers and detectives attended the scene that they determinted the remains to be that of a baby girl.
At the time, police referred to the baby simply as ‘Baby A’, but it’s now be confirmed that they chose to name her Ava.
Since that day, a dedicated team from GMP’s Major Incident Team has worked ‘tirelessly’ to uncover the truth about who Baby Ava was and what led to her being left alone.
Detectives have followed up on hundreds of public tips, conducted thousands of hours of house-to-house enquiries, reviewed extensive CCTV footage, and collaborated with police forces and agencies across the country in pursuit of identifying who baby Ava was and securing justice for her… but as of yet, there are no answers.
Police are still searching for answers six months after the remains of a baby girl found in a Little Hulton park / Credit: Google Maps
Information from the public also led police to speak with potential witnesses nationwide, and time was also spent trawling the national missing person database, focusing on cases involving females who were potentially pregnant and reported missing, yet these were unsuccessful.
To this day, police continue to work closely with a range of experts.
Currently, a botanist is helping detectives determine how long Ava may have been at the discovery site, and work is continuing with an anthropologist, archaeologist, and specialists in dental and bone analysis to establish Ava’s age and ethnicity.
As investigations continue at a rapid pace, police have reissued their appeal to the public for information.
Police have since named the baby Ava as their search for answers continues / Credit: GMP
“We will never forget Baby Ava, and despite the challenges in the investigation, we’re committed to uncovering the truth,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Charlotte Whalley, from GMP’s Major Incident Team. “We are more determined than ever to find who Ava is, who her parents are, and all of the possible scenarios and circumstances which have led Ava to being separated from them.
“I know how heartbreaking this case has been for the communities of Greater Manchester and beyond. The support and compassion we’ve received has been unwavering, and we share the sadness felt for Ava as we continue our search for answers so that we can lay her to rest.
“If you are baby Ava’s mum, please know that you are not alone. You can contact us directly or ask someone you trust to reach out on your behalf. We want to help you.”
Anyone with any information that may be of assistance is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log 1319 of 20/11/24, or by heading to the Major Incident Public Portal here.
The Manc -
4th November 2020 
