The Government will treat vaccinated and unvaccinated Brits differently on the matter of self-isolation after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid, with those who have had two doses of a vaccine not having to isolate from August 16th. This change will also apply to children under the age of 18. Sky News has the story.
Individuals must allow two weeks to pass after having their second jab before they are allowed to be exempt from self-isolating, [Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the Commons in a statement].
At present, people identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for coronavirus will receive an alert from the Test and Trace app or a phone call from a tracer telling them to isolate for 10 days.
For those who have only received one vaccination or those who have not been vaccinated, the requirement to self-isolate after coming into contact with an infected person will remain in place.
And if someone who has received two jabs tests positive for coronavirus they will still have to isolate for the 10-day period.
Mr Javid told MPs “the odds have shifted in our favour” due to the successful vaccination roll-out which will allow the Government to make the self-isolation system more flexible next month. …
The Health Secretary said the Government will advise close contacts of confirmed cases who are fully vaccinated “to take a PCR test as soon as possible”, adding: “And of course, anyone that tests positive will have to self-isolate whether they have had the jab or not.”
The Government hopes the new system will bring an end to the disruption of individuals being made to stay in their homes, in some cases, for multiple periods of 10 days.
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