Boris Johnson press conference: Changes to isolation and Covid testing rules expected
The Prime Minister has said his ‘living with Covid’ plan will bring the country ‘back to normality’ as he intends to scrap the requirement to self-isolate in England.
Boris Johnson will meet his cabinet on Monday morning before briefing MPs in the afternoon on his pandemic exit plan.
He said the proposal would be to “finally set people free” after “one of the most difficult times in the history of our country”.
Following his statement in the House of Commons, the leader of the Conservative Party is expected to give a press conference in the evening.
The Prime Minister’s announcement will come 24 hours after it was confirmed the Queen had tested positive for coronavirus.
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Covid tests and changes to self-isolation rules
The requirement to wear masks in public places was abolished in England last month. Photo: PA
As announced on Saturday, the UK government plans to remove the legal requirement for those who test positive for coronavirus to self-isolate by the end of the week.
According to the Mail On Sunday (MoS), the requirement will be lifted by Thursday.
The newspaper said the Prime Minister will set a timetable to reduce the availability of free coronavirus tests – although the elderly and vulnerable will continue to have access.
Mr Johnson told the BBC’s Sunday morning show that the UK had spent £2billion on testing in January alone and that such high spending need not continue.
Plan B measures designed to slow the spread of Omicron, such as requiring masks to be worn in public places and the use of Covid passes for major events, were abolished in England last month.
The Covid vaccination program continues
More than 81% of adults in England have received a booster dose of the Covid vaccine. Photo: PA
Downing Street said the plan for living with Covid-19 would be “vaccine-led”, with the program remaining open to those who have not yet had a shot.
According to Number 10, the vaccination program had left England in a ‘strong position to consider lifting remaining legal restrictions’, with more than 81 per cent of adults given a booster dose, and Covid cases continuing down.
UK government data on Sunday shows that 11,555 people are currently in hospital with the disease, including 331 in ventilation beds.
The UK was one of the worst-hit European countries during the first wave of coronavirus in spring 2020, with more than 181,000 people having Covid-19 recorded on their death certificates.
Mr Johnson told the BBC Britain was in a ‘different world’ after emerging from the wave of Omicron variants, with the number of intensive care patients ‘falling’.
Speaking ahead of his announcement on Monday, the Prime Minister said: “Today will mark a proud moment after one of the most difficult times in our country’s history as we begin to learn to live with Covid.
“This would not be possible without the efforts of so many – the NHS who ensured the lifesaving vaccine was deployed at phenomenal speed, our world-renowned scientists and experts and the general public for their commitment to protecting themselves and their families. relatives.
“The pandemic is not over but thanks to the incredible deployment of vaccines, we are now getting closer to a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others.”
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PM refuses to rule out further lockdowns
Boris Johnson refused to rule out further lockdowns, saying he should be ‘humble to nature’. Photo: PA
Despite his confidence, the prime minister refused to rule out further lockdowns if future transfers don’t turn out to be benign as expected, saying he should be “humble to nature”.
The Prime Minister, along with around 50 civil servants, are currently under police investigation following allegations that lockdown-breaking parties took place at No 10.
But the MoS said passenger locator forms will likely continue to be required for travelers until spring.