According To No 10's Plans, All Covid Restrictions In England Could Be Lifted By March
As a beleaguered Boris Johnson signals to his backbenchers that he is willing to let the UK live with the virus, No 10 is working up measures to take off England's remaining pandemic restrictions as early as March.
A senior government source revealed that the government was considering abolishing obligatory self-isolation for positive Covid cases, claiming that keeping the policy in place would be "perverse" in the long run. Guidance might take its place.
The legal need to self-isolate, which carries fines of up to £10,000 if broken, is one of six pieces of Covid law set to expire in March, and the government is debating whether any of it is still essential.
Giving your address to NHS test and track and listing members of your household are two more clauses that will expire or require renewal. Powers over government funding for sick pay, inquests, and emergency registration of medical workers are all still in place.
Most of Plan B will be phased out. Working from home guidelines and Covid passports are also expected to be finalized and announced this week or early next week in England. Ministers are anticipated to keep mask-wearing prohibitions in place in stores and on public transportation for the time being.
"A few legal authorities remain on the books, including the necessity to self-isolate. "We'll have to deal with them at some time," the person stated.