Help is there for those who need it in Renfrewshire

Residents are being encouraged to use a new service which will deliver essential food and medicine to those who have been advised to go into quarantine.

Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer has written to those considered most vulnerable to the effects of Coronavirus and outlined the requirement for them to be shielded for a twelve-week period.

Anyone who receives a letter should not leave their home at any time – not even for food, medicine or exercise.

Those being shielded can ask friends and family to deliver essentials to them, as long as they ensure they follow the social distancing guidance, or use online shopping or direct delivery from a pharmacy.

For those who do not have a support network that can collect food and medicine, Renfrewshire Council has set up a local helpline which will ensure everyone is provided with what they need.

Anyone who needs this support should call 0300 300 0230 to speak in confidence to an advisor or send a request online via www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/MyAccount.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “It’s important that we support those who need us most which is why we’ve created this helpline for people who are being shielded.

“We recognise how hard it will be for those affected, but it’s incredibly important that they follow the advice and do all they can to avoid contracting this disease.

“We want to ensure that we are there for them at all times so if you need this support, please call our helpline and one of the team will find out exactly what you need and outline how we will provide this for you.

“If you know someone else who may benefit, please let them know the number to call or get in contact with us – we want to ensure that everyone who needs this support can access it.

“These are unprecedented times so please continue to follow the latest health guidance, stay safe and look after each other wherever you can.”

Shielding is for people, including children, who are at very high risk of severe illness from Coronavirus and includes people who’ve had solid organ transplants, certain cancers, or other conditions like cystic fibrosis and severe asthma.

To reduce the risk of them becoming infected, it asks the person to go into quarantine for the next 12 weeks and is different, more stringent advice than for the rest of the population at this time.

The Scottish Government are running a text-message service to keep in touch and send the latest updates to people who are shielding, with those who receive a letter asked to text 07860 064525 with their ten-digit CHI number found at the top of the letter.

For more information on shielding, and Coronavirus in general, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/coronavirus-shielding.