Covid-19: Shielding comes to an end for millions
As of Thursday (April 1), nearly four million people will no longer be asked to shield to protect themselves from the serious side-effects of Covid-19.
An initial list of 2.2 million clinically extremely vulnerable people were advised to take the measures to avoid potential infection, and 1.7 million more were added to the list in February.
The first list included people with single risk factors such as those with various cancers, people on immunosuppression drugs or those with severe respiratory conditions.
But as the pandemic has progressed, medics found that some people are at higher risk than others because they have multiple risk factors.
Nicole Allen from Eastbourne has cystic fibrosis and has been shielding for more than a year. She says her health is her top priority.
Nicole said: "I think people maybe are not as scared of coronavirus today as they were this time last year and it's still the same virus.
"I know, no matter if it was last year or this year, it's still as deadly as it was then. Obviously, I know medicines have improved and they know how to treat it, but I definitely wanted to make my health my priority."
One family from Oxford say they'll remain at home and avoid social contact to protect their daughter Ella who has complex medical needs.
Earlier this month, Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said: “With the prevalence of the virus in the community continuing to decrease, now is the right time for people to start thinking about easing up on these more rigid guidelines.
“If you have been shielding, we strongly urge you to take extra precautions following April 1 to keep yourself as safe as possible, such as continuing to observe social distancing and working from home.
“We will continue to monitor all of the evidence and adjust this advice should there be any changes in infection rates.”