CORONAVIRUS restrictions in England are set to end.
Prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed in a statement today that all domestic restrictions, including self-isolation, will end on Thursday, February 24, as part of his “living with covid” plan.
Previously, recording a positive test would result in ten days isolation, reduced to five if two negative lateral flow tests were recorded.
The decision brings almost two years of pandemic restrictions to an end.
Speaking to MPs Mr Johnson said: “While the pandemic is not over, we have now passed the peak of the Omicron wave.
“Because of the efforts we have made as a country over the past two years, we can now deal with it in a very different way, moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility.”
Mr Johnson said the combination of vaccination, scientific understanding and high levels of immunity mean the nation can move to vaccines and treatments as the first line of defence, rather than government intervention.
As part of the announcement Mr Johnson also confirmed that free testing to the public will end on Friday, April 1, with most people having to pay for lateral flow and PCR tests.
There will be some exceptions, with free symptomatic tests remaining for NHS patients and in care homes, and some asymptomatic testing for both.
Also ending on Thursday is the £500 payment for some people on lower income. From Thursday, March 24, statutory sick pay and employment support allowance will only start being paid after four and seven days of absence, rather than immediately, as has happened during the Covid pandemic.
Reacting to the announcement on Twitter, Wokingham MP Sir John Redwood said: “Getting rid of the pandemic controls and loss of freedoms will help jobs and livelihoods.”
In the week ending Sunday, February 20, 1,000 people tested positive for coronavirus in Wokingham with three deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive result.
