[This information is out of date as of 17 June 2020 and has been archived]
Information can be confusing online on what we should and shouldn’t do during this time. To make things a little simpler for members, here is the official guideline on lockdown. If one of our facilitators is concerned that you are not following guidelines, they will not judge you, but they may refer you to this page (as we feel it is our duty to do so).
The general rule is: stay at home!
If you have no symptoms:
(and have not had any for at least 7 days) you should:
- Only go outside for food, health reasons (this includes mental health) or work (but only if you cannot work from home), exercise & recreation
- If you go out, stay 2 metres (about the length of a bicycle) away from other people at all times and avoid crowds
- Wash your hands and face as soon as you get home, wash outdoor clothes regularly
- Do not touch your face when you are out
- Avoid crowded spaces, use face coverings if you are around people from outside your household (wash your hands before and after putting them on). They must cover your nose and mouth
- If you have underlying health conditions (see list at bottom of this post) you are asked to take extra care if you do leave your home (there are a number of organisations in Bristol delivering food parcels and hot meals including Bristol City Council)
- You may meet others outside your home, but must maintain social distancing. Do not visit others homes or have people visit yours. You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms so it is good to minimise the number of people you see.
Key Workers are legally allowed to arrange to meet with you too. These might include CPNs or other mental health specialists, Prescribers, Substance Misuse Workers.
If you think you might have Coronavirus symptoms:
- Do not leave your home
- You must self-isolate for 7 days
- Call 111 immediately if your symptoms feel unmanageable, or 999 for emergencies
- Call any other support workers if you need other support at this time
If you have symptoms (or had them in the last 7 days) and you leave your home for any reason, you will be in breach of the guidelines.
What to do if someone in your household has Coronavirus Symptoms
- Do not leave your home
- Self Isolate for 14 days (this is because you could be infected but not yet showing symptoms)
- If more than 1 person at home has symptoms, self-isolate for 14 days from the day the first person started having symptoms.
- If you get symptoms while self-isolating – you should self-isolate for 7 days from when your symptoms started, even if it means you’re self-isolating for longer than 14 days.
If you do not get symptoms while self-isolating – you can stop self-isolating after 14 days.
Higher Risk Individuals
According to the Government advice, this is the list of people who are at higher risk from Covid-19:
- Anyone aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
- Anyone under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (ie anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds):
Chronic (long-term) respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
Chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
Chronic kidney disease
Chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
Chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy
Diabetes
Problems with your spleen – for example, sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed
A weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy
Being seriously overweight (a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above)
Some people are at even higher risk from Covid-19. These include:
- People who have received an organ transplant and remain on ongoing immunosuppression medication
- People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radiotherapy
- People with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia who are at any stage of treatment
- People with severe chest conditions such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma (requiring hospital admissions or courses of steroid tablets)
- People with severe diseases of body systems, such as severe kidney disease (dialysis)
For more information from the Government, visit here