The end of the state rule is part of the plan for “living with Covid,” according to Johnson. The government is relying on infected people to behave like people with a cold on their own responsibility. The step is possible thanks to the successful vaccination campaign. The pandemic is not over, but the peak of the omicron wave is over.
From February 24th, those who test positive will no longer have to stay at home. Vaccinated contacts then no longer need to test themselves for the virus every day for a week, and unvaccinated contacts also no longer have to self-isolate, as Johnson said.
Off for free quick tests
From April 1st, the free rapid tests will also be discontinued, and the tests for older people with symptoms should remain free. Contact tracing should also end. The government also no longer wants to financially support infected people from day one with sick pay. This is how compensation payments for employees in self-isolation end, as Johnson said.
The Prime Minister emphasized that new virus variants cannot be ruled out. In addition, older and particularly vulnerable people in particular should be further protected. Health Minister Sajid Javid announced another vaccination – a “spring booster” – for those over 75, residents of old people’s homes and those over 12 with immune deficiencies.
Johnson under pressure
The UK is one of the worst-hit countries in Europe by the pandemic, with more than 158,000 deaths. Johnson is also being asked to resign from his own ranks because of the “Partygate” affair about lockdown parties in Downing Street.
The opposition Labor Party sees the abolition of the last protective measures as an attempt to distract from “Partygate”. “Boris Johnson is declaring victory before the war is over to distract from police knocking on his door,” said Labor Health spokesman Wes Streeting.
“Today marks a moment of pride after one of the most difficult times in our country’s history as we begin to learn to live with Covid,” the Conservative leader said in advance. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland decide independently on their actions and often take a slightly more cautious approach than England, which does not have its own regional government.
Pressure from Tory hardliners
Critics accuse Johnson of wanting to get internal party opponents back on his side with the announcement. Tory hardliners have been calling for an end to the CoV measures for weeks. Another Conservative Party heavyweight, former Brexit Secretary David Frost, has been pressuring the prime minister for weeks to end all state regulations.
Johnson had already defended his plan at the weekend. “The pandemic is not over yet,” Johnson said. Covid-19 remains a dangerous disease, especially for the unvaccinated. “But thanks to the incredible vaccination campaign, we’re now one step closer to returning to normality and finally giving people their freedom back while we continue to protect ourselves and others,” Johnson said.
Health service rejects abolition
The heads of the state health service NHS reject the abolition of the quarantine obligation and free tests, as the chairman of the NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor, said. Thanks to vaccinations and new CoV drugs, there is now “real hope,” said Taylor. “But the government cannot wave a magic wand and pretend the threat is completely gone.”
The CoV representative of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), David Nabarrro, criticized the abolition of the quarantine obligation as “very unwise”. Nabarro told the BBC that he was “really worried” that Britain’s departure from the scientific consensus could trigger a “domino effect” around the world.
Expert warns of next fall
Johnson’s plans met with criticism among experts. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” public health expert at Imperial College London, Azeem Majeed, told dpa. “But if people remain sensible and continue to isolate themselves when they have symptoms, the impact will be manageable for the first time.”
The doctor is more worried about next autumn and winter, when not only will viruses have their high season, but also the immunity of many people will decrease due to vaccinations or previous infections and the infected will then “circulate freely”.
Forecasters expect an increase of up to 80 percent
A group of scientists who also work for the advisory body SAGE warned that the end of the quarantine requirement and the also expected end of freely available rapid tests could lead to “a return to rapid epidemic growth”. The British forecasters said that infections could increase by 25 to 80 percent. According to the modeling calculated at the University of Warwick, measures such as isolation, testing and wearing masks as well as increased work from home help to reduce the risk of infection by 20 to 45 percent.
Criticism also came from the opposition. Labor health politician Streeting told Sky News on Sunday that ending free testing is like swapping out your best defender in a football game ten minutes before the end of the game.