Published: Monday 22 February 2021
Following the announcement by the Government that it is expanding the number of people classed as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable by 1.7 million, Kensington and Chelsea Council is directly contacting all those affected in the borough.
This week the Council will be texting and calling over 2,500 residents who are now being asked to shield themselves until the end of March. Staff from Kensington and Chelsea will offer support and advice to anyone in this category who needs it. This is on top of the more than 6,000 residents the Council has already been in contact as they were originally asked to shield.
The hub offers support with shopping and food, medicines, financial difficulties, housing and wellbeing.
People who fall into this category will immediately move to the top of the vaccination lists and will be contacted by their GP or national to receive their jab shortly.
Cllr Cem Kemahli, Lead Member for Public Health, said:
“We know how important shielding is for people at higher risk and its good news that the partnership between Oxford University and the Government has been able to refine the method of identifying people who may have more chance of becoming serious unwell. Moving them to the top of the vaccination list also makes sense.
“I know how valuable the Covid-19 Hub has been in helping many residents who have already been identified as clinically extremely vulnerable. I’m glad we are able to offer the same support and help to these newly shielding residents that we have been for the last year to those already shielding.”
Research commissioned by the Chief Medical Officer recently has been able to more people that are at risk of becoming unwell if they contracted Coronavirus. It combines a number of factors such as age, sex registered at birth, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) and specific health conditions and treatments to estimate the risk to a person.
To find out more about the support available via the Council’s covid hub visit webtest.rbkc.gov.uk/coronavirus.