Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced today that all remaining Covid restrictions in England, including the legal requirement to isolate, will be scrapped this month, saying he expects to end the remaining COVID-19 restrictions a “full month early”, on February 24th. The Telegraph has more.
Speaking in the Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions, [the Prime Minister] said: “It is my intention to return on the first day after the half-term recess to present our strategy for living with Covid.
“Provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions – including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive – a full month early.”
He intends to confirm the end of Covid isolation rules on February 21st.
Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said: “We are the freest country in Europe thanks to the strong defences we have built. We’re learning to live with Covid.”
It’s unclear how Mr. Javid can claim the U.K. is the freest country in Europe when Denmark lifted all restrictions last week.
Nonetheless, it’s good news that the Government is moving to lift the remaining pandemic restrictions and laws, which we hope will be comprehensive. For the pandemic fully to come to an end, however, the Government must also remove all pandemic-related guidance, so that the private tyrannies of organisations, employers, businesses and insurance companies are also steered towards an end. The pointless travel restrictions, including those discriminating against the unvaccinated, must also be lifted.
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