It has dominated his premiership, put him into intensive care, provoked a bitter row and rebellion with his parliamentary party and could – depending on the result of the Met Police investigation – ultimately cost Boris Johnson his job.
So you could imagine the prime minister’s sense of relief on Monday when he announced the ending of COVID restrictions.
It offered the embattled Mr Johnson a rare moment of approbation from some of his fiercest backbench critics in the Commons and an occasion to display a bit of his trademark boosterism from a politician who in recent weeks has worn a permanently furrowed brow.
This was, said the PM, the “time to get our confidence back” as he spoke of the ending restrictions as a “moment of pride”.
Public urged to take personal responsibility
From this Thursday, the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive COVID-19 test will be scrapped and free testing for the general public will end on 1 April. Financial support for those isolating will also end on 24 March.
Read more: What will ‘living with COVID’ mean when coronavirus restrictions end in England?
The PM urged the public to take personal responsibility, as the obvious questions about how they can afford to do it if they have neither sick pay for isolation or access to tests rained down.
But if the PM sought to use this moment to project confidence, his scientists chose to sound caution at the COVID news conference.
Sir Patrick Vallance warned the pandemic was not over, that there could be more severe strains.
Sir Chris Whitty cautioned that winters could still be tricky as he urged the public to carry on using sensible precautions, such as wearing masks in enclosed spaces, testing if meeting elderly people and washing hands.
The different tones were significant because the prime minister’s decision to end not just restrictions now, but support around sick pay and free testing in a few weeks, is as much a political decision as a public health…
Source : skynews
