Yesterday I received a letter from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, advising me that, as a clinically extremely vulnerable person due to an underlying health condition, in this case diaganosed pancreatic cancer in 2018, I should have been rigorously shielding.

This is news to me. At no time over the last 3 months have I received any notification of the fact that I should have stayed indoors, and so have happily been outside walking every single day since the pandemic reached the U.K.. Apparently on 1 June, the shileding guiance was slightly relaxed and I could spend some time out of doors once a day. Now, from 6 July, I can meet up with 6 people outdoors while mainatining social distancing.

From 1 August the advice to 'shield' will be paused, but I should still stay at home where possible and my name will remain on the 'Shielded Patients List'.

It's so nice to be informed at last, and I'll now cancel my visit to beaches around the country, and won't be attending any raves.