Johnson stated that Johnson spoke to Parliament, “Provided that the current encouraging data trends continue, it is my expectation we will be in a position to end the last domestic restraints — including the legal requirement for self-isolation if you test positive — a full one month early.”
Positive test results now require that positive people isolate for at least five days. This rule will expire March 24,
Johnson stated that he will present his plan to live with the virus in Parliament when he returns from a brief break on February 21.
Johnson’s Conservative government removed most COVID-19 restrictions. The official advice to work remotely was also scrapped.
Officials claim that the government will switch from legal restrictions and advisory measures to treat the coronavirus as it becomes more widespread in the country.
Since January 1, when the highly transmissible Omicron variant caused daily caseloads of more than 200,000, there has been a decrease in new infections and COVID-19 admissions to UK hospitals.
The current infection rate is at 64,000 per day, the lowest since mid-December. There were 314 deaths on Tuesday.
Officials credit the government’s booster vaccine program for preventing the omicron surge from causing severe stress in U.K. hospitals. The UK saw 65.4% of people aged 12 or over receive a booster vaccine and 84.5% were fully vaccinated.
The rules for those traveling to the U.K. from Friday will be relaxed as well. Travelers who have been fully vaccinated will not need to undergo coronavirus testing before or after arriving in the UK. Those who aren’t fully jabbed need to be tested, but they don’t need to isolate.
Scientists were cautious when they received the news on Wednesday. Simon Clarke, a University of Reading professor of microbiology, stated that ending the self-isolation rules will be “an experiment that will either be proven to be very courageous or very stupid.”
While Omicron in Europe may be declining, other parts of the globe are still experiencing a high number of infections. He stated that the virus, in such conditions, is more likely to mutate than ever before and that there is no guarantee of a newer variant being less deadly.
As infection rates fall, Britain is joining other European countries in easing COVID-19 restrictions. Wednesday’s announcement by the Czech Republic stated that people don’t need to present a vaccine certificate to be allowed into bars, restaurants, and cafes. Sweden has stopped widespread testing citing unjustifiable cost and relevance.
With over 159,000 deaths, Britain is still the country with the highest number of virus-related deaths in Europe.
