England's shielding advice for most vulnerable to end as COVID-19 cases drop

FILE PHOTO: A woman wearing a face mask and a shield walks on the street, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London, Britain, September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra

Over 3.79 million people in England who are clinically extremely vulnerable will no longer have to shield from April 1 as the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalisations continues to fall, the health ministry said on Thursday.

"With the prevalence of the virus in the community continuing to decrease now is the right time for people to start thinking about easing up on these more rigid guidelines," Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Jenny Harries said.

(Reporting by Kate Holton; writing by Costas Pitas, editing by Alistair Smout)