Doncaster Council have told 4,000 residents under the age of 70 that they must shield, with thousands more to follow in coming days.
This week the council will tell 7,500 people from ethnic minority communities, deprived areas, and residents with existing health conditions to stay at home until at least March 31, 2021.
“This is based not only on their health conditions but on their ethnicity and deprivation of places they live,” Dr Suckling said.
“In Doncaster, that list is just under 4,000 people under the age of 70 and we’ve had those people added to the list,” Dr Suckling said.
“Those over the age of 70 will already have been invited for a vaccine but those under the age of 70 are not part of what’s called priority group four so they will be invited sooner.”
These extra measures to protect people within the community come as Doncaster’s rate of infection is fluctuating at between 180-200 per 100,000 people – one of the highest in the UK.
On Monday Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a road map plan for the country exiting Covid-19 restrictions, but Jon Gleek from the council’s Policy Insight and Change Team has warned against complacency with Doncaster in a “more challenging position” than most other areas in the country.
