Thousands of clinically vulnerable people have been shielding for health reasons. This guidance was gradually relaxed, and now the government has told them that they no longer needed to shield. They now face returning to work in the autumn. One of them, Kate, lives in Leicester and is currently locally locked down, but expects to return to work in September. This is daunting for her, especially as trips which used to be mundane now seem very risky. She has gone out twice since March. ‘It's quite nerve-wracking,’ she said. ‘I've been to the dentist and it's absolutely fraught with danger.’ Many are like her - nervous about how to go about daily life, unsure about the reality of wearing masks in shops and using customer one-way systems while their immune system is still severely depressed. Eleven charities have called for the Government to introduce furloughing for high-risk workers in this situation to avoid job losses.