People in Liverpool could be among the most likely in the country to be at higher risk from Covid-19 after the remaining restrictions ended recently.
Around 49,395 people across the city were recorded as being “clinically extremely vulnerable” and at high risk of death from Covid-19 at the end of September, the latest NHS figures show.
That’s about 9.9% of the city’s population, according to Office for National Statistics estimates – the third-highest proportion of any area in England.
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The figure stood at 9.4% in Sefton, and 8.4% in Knowsley.
Across Merseyside as a whole, 126,205 were identified as being more vulnerable – 8.8% of the area’s population.
The figures are from NHS Digital’s shielded patient list, which was compiled to support those who needed to shield in the earlier stages of the pandemic due to being at greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid.
The shielding programme ended in mid-September, with ministers saying that vaccine uptake and drug treatments meant the most vulnerable would no longer be advised to stay behind closed doors.
However, some of those previously considered extremely vulnerable are still deemed to be at high risk from Covid-19, according to the NHS.
It means the list provides an indicator of areas that could still have relatively high proportions of more vulnerable people as the Government has axed the final restrictions.
Mersey Care encourages everyone to wear masks
Although restrictions have ended, some NHS organisations on Merseyside are encouraging people to wear masks and carry out social distancing.
A spokesman for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust told the ECHO: "Mersey Care regards the safety of our patients and staff as our highest priority and follows the strictest infection prevention and control protocols and procedures, which are reviewed on a regular basis.
"As a mental and community healthcare organisation we follow national infection prevention and control guidance, which has remained unchanged since COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were relaxed.
"In all clinical areas where patients and public are present all staff will continue to wear masks and encourage everyone to do the same who is in our care or visiting our sites. Social distancing also remains in place following risk assessments and hand hygiene facilities and masks remain at key areas for patients and visitors to access.
"Patients who are assessed as extremely vulnerable are also subject to increased precautions during our care to reduce the risks of COVID-19 transmission, which will include the offer and provision of vaccinations for all patients and staff."
Many people in England are still at high risk
Across England, around 3.7 million people were on the shielded patient list at the end of September.
That’s roughly 6.5% of the population, although the number had dropped slightly compared to the preceding months.
And more than 500,000 people across the UK with weakened immune systems are thought to be at particularly high risk.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his plan for “living with Covid” on February 21, meaning all domestic rules in place to curb the virus expired in England.
Those who test positive are no longer legally required to self-isolate, while universal free testing is set to be wound up in April.
Mr Johnson pointed to the vaccine roll-out, falling cases and hospitalisations, and improved treatments as reasons for the further move towards normality.
But Dr Chaand Nagpaul, who chairs the British Medical Association’s council, said the announcement “neglects some of the most vulnerable people in society”.
He added: “We recognise the need, after two years of the pandemic, to begin thinking about how we adjust our lives to manage living alongside Covid-19, but as the BMA has persistently said the decision to bring forward the removal of all protective measures while cases, deaths and the number of people seriously ill remain so high is premature.
“Living with Covid-19 must not mean ignoring the virus altogether – which in many respects the Government’s plan in England seems to do.”
As part of the changes, an additional booster will be offered to all adults aged over 75, older care home residents, and over-12s with weakened immune systems.
Self-isolation support payments ended on February 24, as will routine contact tracing, meaning fully vaccinated adults and those under 18 who are close contacts are no longer advised to test daily for a week.
The legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate will also be scrapped.
However, until April people who test positive will still be advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least five days.
Introducing the measures in the House of Commons, Mr Johnson said: “Covid will not suddenly disappear, so those who would wait for a total end to this war before lifting the remaining regulations would be restricting the liberties of the British people for a long time to come.
“This Government does not believe that that is right or necessary. Restrictions take a heavy toll on our economy, our society, our mental wellbeing and the life chances of our children, and we do not need to pay that cost any longer."
