Council leader reveals 3,500 Milton Keynes residents qualify for new shielding list

The government revealed this week through use of a new statistical model they have discovered 1.7 million new people who are considered more vulnerable to Covid.

The technology analyses a combination of risk factors based on medical records, to assess whether somebody may be more vulnerable than was previously understood.

The factors include: ethnicity, deprivation (by postcode) and weight, to work out a person's risk of becoming seriously ill if they were to catch Covid.

Those who are informed they are on this new list are being given priority to receive a vaccine protecting them against the Coronavirus.

Councillor Marland said at his weekly Covid briefing: "Around 3,500 people have been identified as being in this new group in Milton Keynes.

"They will receive a letter from Public Health England directly, in the next few days advising them to shield. Throughout the pandemic Milton Keynes Council has provided support such as emergency deliveries to clinically extremely vulnerable people and will continue to do so. We expect some of these new people won't have family, friends or neighbours able to help them while they are shielding.

"If that is the case we can help. Milton Keynes Council hasn't been given any specific information as to who is in this group, as they will be told directly. If you do get a letter or know someone that needs help, they can contact us during usual office hours on 01908 252398 and we can arrange help and support."

Councillor Marland also revealed that the rapid testing programme for asymptomatic key workers was expanding starting on Monday February 22. He added: "From next week, we are expanding our testing of people without Covid-19 symptoms to any key worker who needs to go out to work and can't work from home.

"Please, drop into the Central Library if you are a key worker of any kind. You might work in a shop or drive a taxi, be a plumber or a childminder. The test centre is open from 9:30am to 4:30pm every weekday and later on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 7PM. There is no need to book.

"These tests are for people who don't have Covid-19 symptoms. If you do have symptoms please book an online test or call 119."

The briefing had opened with some sobering context to Milton Keynes' current Coronavirus infection rate, Councillor Marland said: "In Milton Keynes the number of cases is currently 121 per 100,000 people. That is another fall, but still worryingly high. We have still more people in Milton Keynes with Covid-19 now, than the rates that triggered the second national lockdown in November."