Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has published on shielding for people who are classified as (a) clinically vulnerable and (b) extremely clinically vulnerable during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown.

Those considered clinically vulnerable should follow the national lockdown rules that are in place for everyone in England, which are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

Guidance for those considered clinically extremely vulnerable during the period of national lockdown was updated on 7 January and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

We have also written to all 2.24 million people on the shielded patient list to inform them of the latest guidance.