The UK prime minister has announced that the legal requirement to self-isolate, when infected with the coronavirus, will end in England on February 24.
Our everyday behaviors have been subject to a number of rules and regulations for over two years since the pandemic has started. Removing self-isolation is one of the final steps in reversing these rules and moving towards “living with COVID”.
During BBC’s Sunday Morning show, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reveal his plan and said: “I’m not saying that we should throw caution to the winds, but now is the moment for everybody to get their confidence back.”
“We will remove all remaining domestic restrictions,” he added.
Johnson also said the dropped restrictions include testing at schools and the Covid passport system. Free tests for the public will also end.
The decision to scrap COVID-19 Self-isolation Law will let people in the U.K. “protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms.”
APnews give us more the details of this report:
People with COVID-19 won’t be legally required to self-isolate in England starting in the coming week, the U.K. government has announced, as part of a plan for “living with COVID” that is also likely to see testing for the coronavirus scaled back.
“We’ve reached a stage where we think you can shift the balance away from state mandation, away from banning certain courses of action, compelling certain courses of action, in favor of encouraging personal responsibility.”
Wes Streeting, health spokesman for the main opposition Labour Party, accused Johnson of “declaring victory before the war is over.”
A reminder that the coronavirus remains widespread came with the news that Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old monarch was experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms.
Johnson’s Conservative government lifted most virus restrictions in January, scrapping vaccine passports for venues and ending mask mandates in most settings apart from hospitals in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which set their own public health rules, also have opened up, although more slowly.
Weekly COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report shows there were more COVID-19 deaths from people who were fully vaccinated than not. But Borris still thanked “the efficacy of the vaccine rollout and the booster roll out.”
Read the transcript of his interview with BBC below:
Certainly not asking people to throw caution to the winds. Covid remains a dangerous disease, particularly if you haven’t been vaccinated and if you’re vulnerable. So please everybody, there are still people who haven’t been properly vaccinated. There are still people who haven’t had their booster. Huge numbers have, but there are still people who haven’t.
So there is no case for complacency about this. But we’ve now reached a stage thanks to the efficacy of the vaccine rollout and the booster rollout, which we did voluntarily. By the way, if you compare most other European countries, it was amazing what the British people did. We’ve reached a stage where we think you can shift the balance away from state mandation, away from banning certain courses of action, compelling certain courses of action.
Sources: TheGatewayPundit, AP, BBC