For the first time after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in England, isolation will not be mandatory after a positive diagnostic test for the disease. This has been announced by Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, who has announced his intention to advance the end of most restrictions due to the coronavirus by one month.
This will only happen in England, since the health policy of the rest of the United Kingdom is decided by the governments of each nation, and will come into force from Thursday, February 24. Infected people will be able to lead a normal life, so isolation to avoid contagion will become simply a recommendation. Even so, the minister has advised showing consideration in these cases and staying at home.
Another key date is April 1, as of that day free COVID-19 diagnostic tests will no longer be dispensed, which can only be obtained in cases of older people and vulnerable groups that show symptoms of the coronavirus. Even so, antigen tests will continue to be available in pharmacies but at a cost. Also from that date, the government will stop recommending the use of the COVID passport.
The reasons for this change, as explained by his government, is that with more than 18.5 million people infected, “we have sufficient levels of immunity to go from protecting people through government interventions to an approach based on vaccines and treatments. as the first line of defense.
Living with COVID-19 as with any other disease
The end of the restrictions will not affect vaccination measures, in this way, people considered vulnerable before SARS-CoV-2 and those over 75 years of age in England will be able to receive a fourth dose of the vaccines against COVID-19 , which will begin to be administered from this spring and provided that six months have passed since the previous one, according to Sajid Javid, British Minister of Health. Until now, only the fourth dose was being recommended for patients with particularly weakened immune systems.
As of February 24, the isolation of those infected with COVID-19 will not be mandatory in England, and as of April 1, free antigen tests will no longer be dispensed
The program to trace the contacts of people infected with coronavirus and the economic compensation of 500 pounds -about 600 euros- for sick leave due to this disease for lower-income workers will also be terminated.
The elimination of these mandatory measures is added to those that had already been carried out in January, where the obligation to wear masks was lifted in all places, except hospitals in England and some public transport, in addition to eliminating the passports of vaccination that until then was necessary to access certain places.
In Britain, 85% of people over the age of 12 have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, and nearly two-thirds have received a third booster shot. All this has made them believe that they are prepared to live with COVID as just another disease, as happened in their day with the flu.
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