London: British Prime Minister Boris johnson said on Monday it was easing previous domestic coronavirus restrictions in England, including requiring people with Covid-19 to self-isolate.
Johnson said the country was “moving from government restrictions to individual responsibility” as part of a plan to treat COVID-19, like other infectious diseases like the flu.
“We now have a sufficient level of immunity to complete infections from protecting people from government intervention to relying on vaccines and treatments,” Johnson said.
Despite warnings from scientists that the lifting of restrictions could undermine the country’s ability to monitor and track the coronavirus, Johnson confirmed that mandatory self-isolation will begin Thursday for people with COVID-19, and those infected. Routine tracing of contacts of people will stop.
People will still be advised to stay at home if they are sick – but they will no longer receive the additional financial support introduced during the pandemic for those who miss work.
Many people who think they have COVID-19 may never know for sure. From April 1, lab-confirmed PCR tests for the virus will be available free of cost only to older people and those with immunity-compromised. The government will also stop offering free rapid virus tests to the public, although they will be available privately for a price, as is already the case in many countries.
Yet the government insisted the pandemic was not over and the virus could still cause terrifying surprises.
Johnson said the fact that Queen Elizabeth II Testing positive for Covid-19 on Sunday was “a reminder that this virus has not gone away.”
Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old monarch, who was experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, was continuing with light duties and would follow all government regulations.
The new plan predicts vaccines and treatments to keep the virus under control. The fourth dose of the vaccine will be offered to everyone age 75 and older, as well as those 12 and older who have conditions that make them more vulnerable to serious illness. The government said it would accept recommendations from its Vaccine Advisory Group on whether the fourth shot should be offered more widely.
Johnson urged people not to “throw caution to the winds”, but said it was time to move away from “banning certain courses of action, forcing certain courses of action in favor of encouraging personal responsibility”. .
However, some scientists said it was a risky move that could lead to an increase in infections and undermine the country’s defenses against more dangerous strains in the future.
Andrew Pollard, Director oxford vaccine group“The decision about when and how to ease restrictions is very difficult,” said the company that developed the AstraZeneca vaccine.
He added that “surveillance for the virus, if you wish, is essential to maintaining an early warning system that tells us when new forms emerge and gives us the ability to monitor whether they are new. The versions are actually causing more severe disease than Omicron’s.”
The government said it would maintain a robust surveillance system, including an infection survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics, which is considered invaluable as it tests people to see if they have symptoms. It said it would also have the ability to ramp up testing if needed.
Johnson’s Conservative government lifted most virus restrictions in January, eliminating vaccine passports for places and eliminating mask mandates in most settings other than hospitals in England.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which set their own public health rules, have also opened up, albeit more slowly.
Monday’s announcement only applies to England, which is home to 56 million of the UK’s 67 million people. This leaves England with fewer restrictions than other European countries, with the exception of Denmark.
The combination of high vaccination rates and the mild omicron variant in the UK meant that easing restrictions did not lead to an increase in hospitalizations and deaths. Both are falling, although Britain still has Europe’s highest coronavirus toll after Russia, which has more than 160,000 recorded deaths.
In the UK, 85% of people 12 years of age and older have received two doses of the vaccine and about two-thirds have had a third booster shot.
The announcement was welcomed by many conservative Party Lawmakers, who argue that the sanctions were inefficient and disproportionate. It could shore up Johnson’s position among party lawmakers who have been attempting to oust him over scandals, including lockdown-violating government parties during the pandemic.
Health psychologist Robert West, a government advisory committee member, said the Conservative government was abdicating its “responsibility to care for its population”.
“It seems that what the government has said, it accepts that the country is going to have to live with between 20,000 and 80,000 Covid deaths a year and is not really going to do anything about it,” he said, speaking. in a personal capacity. “Now it seems irresponsible to me.”
Johnson said the country was “moving from government restrictions to individual responsibility” as part of a plan to treat COVID-19, like other infectious diseases like the flu.
“We now have a sufficient level of immunity to complete infections from protecting people from government intervention to relying on vaccines and treatments,” Johnson said.
Despite warnings from scientists that the lifting of restrictions could undermine the country’s ability to monitor and track the coronavirus, Johnson confirmed that mandatory self-isolation will begin Thursday for people with COVID-19, and those infected. Routine tracing of contacts of people will stop.
People will still be advised to stay at home if they are sick – but they will no longer receive the additional financial support introduced during the pandemic for those who miss work.
Many people who think they have COVID-19 may never know for sure. From April 1, lab-confirmed PCR tests for the virus will be available free of cost only to older people and those with immunity-compromised. The government will also stop offering free rapid virus tests to the public, although they will be available privately for a price, as is already the case in many countries.
Yet the government insisted the pandemic was not over and the virus could still cause terrifying surprises.
Johnson said the fact that Queen Elizabeth II Testing positive for Covid-19 on Sunday was “a reminder that this virus has not gone away.”
Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old monarch, who was experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, was continuing with light duties and would follow all government regulations.
The new plan predicts vaccines and treatments to keep the virus under control. The fourth dose of the vaccine will be offered to everyone age 75 and older, as well as those 12 and older who have conditions that make them more vulnerable to serious illness. The government said it would accept recommendations from its Vaccine Advisory Group on whether the fourth shot should be offered more widely.
Johnson urged people not to “throw caution to the winds”, but said it was time to move away from “banning certain courses of action, forcing certain courses of action in favor of encouraging personal responsibility”. .
However, some scientists said it was a risky move that could lead to an increase in infections and undermine the country’s defenses against more dangerous strains in the future.
Andrew Pollard, Director oxford vaccine group“The decision about when and how to ease restrictions is very difficult,” said the company that developed the AstraZeneca vaccine.
He added that “surveillance for the virus, if you wish, is essential to maintaining an early warning system that tells us when new forms emerge and gives us the ability to monitor whether they are new. The versions are actually causing more severe disease than Omicron’s.”
The government said it would maintain a robust surveillance system, including an infection survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics, which is considered invaluable as it tests people to see if they have symptoms. It said it would also have the ability to ramp up testing if needed.
Johnson’s Conservative government lifted most virus restrictions in January, eliminating vaccine passports for places and eliminating mask mandates in most settings other than hospitals in England.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which set their own public health rules, have also opened up, albeit more slowly.
Monday’s announcement only applies to England, which is home to 56 million of the UK’s 67 million people. This leaves England with fewer restrictions than other European countries, with the exception of Denmark.
The combination of high vaccination rates and the mild omicron variant in the UK meant that easing restrictions did not lead to an increase in hospitalizations and deaths. Both are falling, although Britain still has Europe’s highest coronavirus toll after Russia, which has more than 160,000 recorded deaths.
In the UK, 85% of people 12 years of age and older have received two doses of the vaccine and about two-thirds have had a third booster shot.
The announcement was welcomed by many conservative Party Lawmakers, who argue that the sanctions were inefficient and disproportionate. It could shore up Johnson’s position among party lawmakers who have been attempting to oust him over scandals, including lockdown-violating government parties during the pandemic.
Health psychologist Robert West, a government advisory committee member, said the Conservative government was abdicating its “responsibility to care for its population”.
“It seems that what the government has said, it accepts that the country is going to have to live with between 20,000 and 80,000 Covid deaths a year and is not really going to do anything about it,” he said, speaking. in a personal capacity. “Now it seems irresponsible to me.”
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