No more Corona measures! And right away. This is currently the credo of the English government. Starting next week, people who have tested positive for Covid-19 will no longer have to isolate themselves. This is what the AP news agency writes.
This was announced by the British government as part of a plan as part of “Living with Covid”. This also provides for a reduction in corona tests. The details of the plan are expected to be presented in Parliament on Monday.
Away from state coercion
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is thus putting a lot of pressure on the tube when it comes to lifting the corona measures. The end of the legal restrictions put in place to contain the virus would allow people in Britain “to protect themselves without restricting our freedoms”.
With this step you want to get away from state coercion and towards personal responsibility. “I’m not saying we should all throw caution to the wind, but now is the moment for everyone to get their confidence back,” Johnson told the BBC on Sunday.
The requirement to isolate yourself for at least five days after a positive corona test will be replaced by advisory measures. The corona virus will therefore be treated more like flu in the future. “Covid-19 will not go away suddenly and we must learn to live with this virus,” Johnson said.
Science is not very enthusiastic
However, this decision met with little enthusiasm from certain scientific advisers to the government. This step is too risky and could lead to an increase in infections. In addition, it could also weaken the defenses of citizens against future more contagious variants.
Epidemiologists warn that sudden changes like an end to testing or isolation could lead to a return to rapid epidemic growth. Especially when people are careless.
Wes Streeting, health spokesman for the opposition Labor Party, accused Johnson of “declaring victory before the war is over”. The current news that Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for Covid-19, as announced on Sunday, also shows that the pandemic is not quite over yet.
United Kingdom with second highest rate of coronavirus
As early as January, Johnson declared the end of practically all corona measures. He abolished the certification requirement for venues and ended the mask requirement almost everywhere, with the exception of hospitals.
Thanks to the high vaccination coverage in the UK and the milder omicron variant, hospitalizations and deaths did not skyrocket. Both numbers are declining. Nevertheless, with more than 160,000 registered corona deaths, the United Kingdom still has the highest rate in Europe after Russia.
In the UK, 85 per cent of people aged 12 and over have had a double dose of vaccination and almost two thirds of the population have received a third booster dose. (dzc)