Boris Johnson confirms government looking into cutting Covid self-isolation to 5 days

Boris Johnson Visits Uxbridge Constituency
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Boris Johnson has confirmed the Government is examining cutting the self-isolation period for people who test positive for Covid from seven days to five.

The Prime Minister said he could see the benefits of such a move to boost the economy and avoid so many people having to be off work.

However, ministers want to ensure that such a step would not significantly fuel the spread of the virus and a series of studies are being carried out.

Asked on a visit to a vaccine centre in Uxbridge, west London, if free lateral flow tests would continue for weeks or months, Mr Johnson said: “We will use them as long as they are very important.

“There is a similar argument to be had about the quarantine period, whether to come down from seven days to five days.

“The thing to do is look at the science.”

Asked if he saw the benefits of such a move, he added: “Yes, of course.

“We are looking at that and we will act according to the science.”

But he also stressed: “Omicron is still out there. It’s incredibly contagious...it can be pretty unpleasant.

“We have got to make sure that we see off Omicron .

“We are making great progress. The number of people who have been boosted is 36 million, 90 per cent of over 50s have been done, but there are still millions who need to do it.”

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi raised at the weekend the prospect of the self-isolation period being cut to five days, a step reportedly backed by Chancellor Rishi Sunak and other Cabinet ministers with posts strongly linked to the economy.

Asked about such a move on Monday, Cabinet minister Michael Gove told BBC Breakfast: “If it’s safe to reduce it..then we should but ultimately this is an area where you have to balance a desire to make sure people on the frontline are there doing the jobs that they need to do but also not in a situation where they are further potentially spreading infection, leading to even more people being off work.”

Studies are being carried out into the length of Omicron’s infectiousness and the impact of widespread staff absences to decide the best compromise on self-isolation.

The US recently cut its self-isolation time to five days for people who test positive for Covid but are asymptomatic. These individuals should wear a mask for the following five days when around others to reduce the risk of spreading the disease.

Levelling Up Secretary Mr Gove also said he did not think “anybody is talking” about scrapping free lateral flow tests “at the moment” given the pressure on the NHS, adding: “There are some difficult weeks ahead but I do believe that there are better times ahead.”

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Rev Justin Welby urged people to get vaccinated “to look after their neighbours”. The majority of Covid patients in intensive care are unjabbed.

Ministers and health chiefs are seeking to persuade more people to get vaccinated so the country can return closer to normality and to protect public health.

Mr Johnson was facing growing pressure from Tory MPs and businesses to lay out a roadmap out of Plan B restrictions and their economic harm.

On Covid no longer being an emergency, Graham Medley, professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “That is likely to be a phase out rather than an active point in time where somebody can declare the epidemic over.”

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