British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be ending forced self-isolation for people who test positive for Covid beginning next week, despite concerns from health experts and scientists that the move is extremely premature.
Downing Street announced that Johnson will outline his intentions to repeal all Covid pandemic regulations that restrict public life as part of his “living with Covid” strategy, including ending the legal duty to quarantine when testing positive for Covid.
Ditching isolation requirements were set to happen in a month, but Johnson moved the date up to the end of February instead.
Johnson said that Covid is not going to disappear, and the country needs to “learn to live with this virus” and that the U.K. needs to protect itself but without restrictions to public freedom. The announcement has been controversial, with people saying Johnson is making the announcement far too soon and is leaving the vulnerable to die.
Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said that Johnson is declaring victory before the war is over and that it is all an attempt to distract the public from his own wrongdoings.
People are calling for the government to publish any evidence it has behind this decision so that the U.K. can be sure it is actually being made in the national interest.
Johnson’s cabinet office is due to sign off on the plan soon. The green-lighting of the next step was pushed back to today after a request from the health secretary Said Javid on how parts of the plan would be paid for.
There has been controversy and extreme kickback to the announcement that PCR and lateral flow tests will no longer be free to anyone under the age of 80 in order to cut public spending.
Experts and health officials have warned that reopening everything while also eliminating testing will end in a free-for-all for the virus.
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