Printed A4 picture of houses with a rainbow and the words "stay safe" by Daniel, age 6, part of the emergency food boxes received by Sammie Read during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020

Children of workers at Bidfood Worthing, a foodservice wholesaler, drew pictures which were reproduced packed into emergency food boxes. Containing tinned foods including vegetables, fruit, pulses, and meat, and cereal, people who registered on the government’s website received a weekly box. These were people identified as “clinically extremely vulnerable” due to their higher risk of developing coronavirus and potentially developing complications. They were asked to shield, staying at home at all times and avoid all face-to face contact for at least 12 weeks beginning in late March 2020.

Sammie was one of the people advised by the United Kingdom government to shield. The list was of people included those with cystic fibrosis, like Sammie, but also severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, some cancers, long term organ conditions, diabetes, transplant recipients, people with lower immune responses due to treatments or conditions, people with learning impairments and adults with Down’s syndrome. By May 2020, 2.2 million people were identified. The choice to shield was presented a personal one and a voluntary action.

Shielding was officially paused on 1 August 2020, although many people continued to take extra precautions. Food parcels were also stopped at this time. Advice on shielding changed as COVID-19 cases rose and fall being re-introduced during the third wave in January 2021 but the emergency food supply service was not re-started.