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The legal requirement for people who test positive for coronavirus to self-isolate will be removed from Thursday and free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing will end in England from 1 April, the PM has announced.
Boris Johnson confirmed the move as he unveiled his government’s plan for “living with COVID” in the Commons.
The changes will be subject to approval by Parliament.
Live COVID updates as fourth jab to be offered to over 75s, care home residents and the vulnerable
Timeline of end of COVID restrictions
From today:
• Guidance for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing removed
From 24 February:
• Adults and children who test positive will still be advised to self-isolate but the legal requirement will be removed
• Vaccinated contacts of positive cases will no longer be asked to test for seven days
• There will no longer be a legal requirement for close contacts who are not vaccinated to self-isolate
• Contact tracing will also come to an end
From 24 March:
• COVID provisions attached to statutory sick pay will be removed
• Wider guidance on workplace safety that been changed for COVID will be updated
From 1 April:
• Free universal testing will be scrapped and will instead be targeted at the most vulnerable
• Government officials expected the cost of a box of seven lateral flow tests to settle at around £20
• The use of voluntarily COVID status certification will also no longer be recommended
PM calls for move towards ‘personal responsibility’
Outlining his plan for “living with COVID”, the PM said the country is now in a position to move from “government restrictions to personal responsibility”.
“Before we begin I know the whole House will join me in sending our best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen for a full and swift recovery. It is a reminder that this virus has not gone away,” the prime minister told the…
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Source : skynews
