Government Has Canceled All Covid Restrictions And Self-Isolation.
UK Prime Minister,Boris Johnson just told the Brisitish parliament that the country can now go ahaed and cancel all Covid retsrictions and self-isolation as vaccination is high and deaths are low.
In a dramatic statement to MPs, Boris Johnson confirmed that people with the virus will no longer be compelled to stay at home – although they will be advised to avoid spreading the disease in the same way as with flu.
From March 24 more generous state sick pay provisions are being downgraded, so people will no longer be eligible from day one.
And from April 1 free lateral flow and PCR testing – which has been costing the taxpayer £2billion a month – is being abandoned, except for very limited supplies for the elderly and very vulnerable. Details of who gets them will be decided later by the UK Health Security Agency.
Instead the government is set to focus on monitoring the development of the virus, with surveillance programmes to keep watch for emerging variants. The testing infrastructure will be kept ready so it can be ‘stood up’ quickly if there is a serious threat. Ministers hope that when people have to buy tests themselves the costs per individual kit will be in the ‘low single figures’. The blueprint emerged after Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak blocked a bid by Health Secretary Sajid Javid for more funding to maintain testing capacity and a slower timetable for ending the arrangements.
Details shortly….
