Why Government should spare a thought for the hidden human shields as lockdown easing continues - Laura Collins, YEP Editor

It’s a strange world we are living in at the moment.

Drinkers at pubs and bars may be asked to leave their name and contact details at the door so they can be swiftly traced should there be an outbreak of coronavirus.

Face masks are the order of the day for those who are venturing out on public transport, while families are able to start forming their own bubbles.

There also looks set to be an alteration to the two-metre social distancing guidance this week to help give the hospitality sector a boost to allow it to reopen as early as July 4.

Meanwhile, as lockdown measures look set to be eased once more, Brits have been told that they will be “freely” welcomed to Spain without the need to quarantine as country’s look to create their own air bridges.

But this talk is very cheap to the millions of vulnerable people who are shielding themselves or loved ones still looking for answers about what will happen to them.

The Government’s “one-size-fits-all” approach has meant that they were all advised to isolate for months on end. In many cases, they haven’t ventured out of the house at all since the country was plunged into lockdown.

Shielders in England and Wales were advised at the start of this month that they could now leave their home for exercise with their household while social-distancing.

But for some, the prospect of leaving their place of sanctuary is just too much.

Currently there are 2.2 million people shielding in England, each with differing medical vulnerabilities.

Many are too scared to venture out because they fear they could leave either themselves of their loved ones at risk of catching coronavirus.

The prospect of a family reunion is certainly off the table for the foreseeable for some of our most vulnerable.

Yet they are the ones who are really starting to feel the pain of lockdown – effectively prisoners in their own homes.

There is certainly a rising concern that some of our most vulnerable in society have also been the most ignored.

In a recent interview, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said new guidance on shielding would be released “very soon” after reports that it is to be axed at the end of July. But how will this help to ease anxiety for those who are seeking answers about what they can or can’t do safely to help themselves in the weeks and months ahead?

To suddenly go from being told not to leave the house to then only being allowed to leave their home for socially distanced exercise to then having the handbrake removed completely will be a difficult transition.

Quite rightly there is a lot of anxiety about how this will work in practice but clarity will be vital.

The Government needs to be crystal clear over what happens next to those who feel as if they have simply been forgotten.

So while we’re having discussions about reopening the hospitality sector, flying abroad and when we can next have a haircut, let’s make sure that those forgotten voices from behind closed doors are part of the conversation too.

Those who have formed a human shield deserve so very much more.