Up to 4.5million people could be asked to 'shield' themselves from coronavirus this winter as the deadly disease threatens to flood Britain once more.
Boris Johnson is said to be looking at plans for a huge programme that would target those most at risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, they could be asked to stay at home - as in the original shielding scheme - or given tailored advice on protecting themselves.
They would be picked under a 'risk model' based on their underlying health conditions, age, sex or weight. The newspaper said initially, the new scheme would operate only in local areas with a spike of cases.