UK PM Borris Johnson plans to scrap Covid-19 self-isolation law

The United Kingdom is drawing up plans under which people will not be legally bound to self-isolate after catching COVID-19.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to permanently revoke emergency coronavirus laws as Britain’s COVID-19 cases continue to fall, the report said, adding official guidance would remain but would not result in fines or legal punishment if ignored.

The new rules, already took place from Monday, which would require those with coronavirus to test negative on a lateral flow device on day five and six can end their isolation.

Javid noted that data from the UK Health Security Agency showed around two-thirds of positive Covid cases were no longer infectious by the end of day five of staying at home.

“We want to use the testing capacity that we’ve built up to help these people leave isolation safely,” he told lawmakers.

It follows the government cutting the quarantine period in England from 10 to seven days in December, as it sought to mitigate the fallout from an unprecedented wave of new cases fuelled by the Omicron variant.The United States also switched to a five-day isolation period last month.

By line: Divya Thearia