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General practitioners will send letters to the 1.5 million people most vulnerable to the coronavirus on Monday.
These letter will advise the recipients to self-isolate for the next 12 weeks. They will also advise them on how to deal with their specific conditions.
Local hubs will be set up to help deliver food and supplies to those forced to stay inside.
Here we answer some of the questions those affected may be asking.
Who will receive the communication?
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries said 1.5 million people who have been identified as clinically vulnerable will be advised in the coming days to take shielding measures.
Those who will be contacted by their GP include people who have received organ transplants, those living with severe respiratory conditions such as cystic fibrosis and severe chronic bronchitis (COPD) or specific cancers like of the blood or bone marrow. It will also include people who are taking drugs that suppress the immune system.
They will receive a communication on Monday from their GP with detailed advice on how best to protect themselves.
Those measures include staying at home at all times and avoiding any face-to-face contact.
However she said the Government may have overestimated the number.
“For any of the public listening who might be in this group, because we want to be as inclusive as possible, we may slightly overestimate the number of individuals,” Dr Harries said.
How will they be contacted?
People identified as belonging to one or more of the at-risk groups will be contacted by their GP practice, specialist or both strongly advising them to stay at home for a period of at least 12 weeks.
Those contacted will receive a letter this week. If the NHS has their phone number they will also send frequent text messages shortly to those in this group, to reach the most at risk as quickly as possible with advice.
These communications reassure them that their ongoing medical needs will be met by the NHS, and contain advice and guidance on how to manage their condition while self-isolating, including getting prescriptions delivered and accessing support for daily living.
What measures will the government take to help the vulnerable?
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said the Government was creating a network of local hubs to assist the clinically vulnerable who will be impacted by shielding measures.
Medicines will be delivered by pharmacists to those affected, while councils working with supermarkets will drop-off groceries on their doorsteps.
“Nobody needs to worry about getting the food and essential items that they will need,” he said.
Mr Jenrick said the care parcels will initially be free, with the Treasury footing the bill. But he added that the arrangement could change in the future.
He said: “If over time we’re able to refine it into a more sophisticated offer which is more tailored to individuals’ needs – and we’re working with supermarkets to see if that is possible in time – then it may be a different arrangement.”
