Published on 19 July 2021
Some of Britain’s biggest cancer charities have come together to plead with the public to remember cancer patients as lockdown restrictions ease today.
They warn that patients with cancers are much more vulnerable to COVID-19 and urge people to continue to wear masks in crowded places and maintain social distancing to protect the vulnerable.
In a joint letter, the 40 leading charities warn that the lifting of restrictions means that some people who are clinically vulnerable will now feel unable to go out in public due to their fear of catching the virus.
The charities, which include Cancer Research UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, Blood Cancer UK, Breast Cancer Now and Kidney Cancer UK, write: “The more people exercise their freedom to stop wearing masks and stop social distancing, the more people with cancer will feel they have to stop their normal activities, and will feel more worried when they have to do things like use public transport.”
They add that they “had hoped the government would continue to insist people carry on wearing masks and social distancing in crowded places”.
The charities also urge everyone who is offered a vaccination to have them. Read the full letter here.
The advice is also being echoed by the Directors of Public Health in Cheshire and Merseyside’s nine local council areas – Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Warrington and Wirral – who are issuing advice for residents and businesses
They say alongside take up of the COVID-19 vaccination, the local public health advice is to continue as much as possible with the use of face coverings, social distancing, good hand hygiene and regular testing.
They add that continuing already existing behaviours will decrease the likelihood of a dangerous and potentially vaccine-resistant mutation of the virus, protect unvaccinated children and lower the number of people who fall ill with COVID-19 and develop ‘long COVID’
You can read the full statement here.