UK PM Boris Johnson to lift all remaining Covid restrictions in
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Tobias Hase | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday will laud the lifting of all remaining Covid restrictions in England as a “moment of pride” as he sets out the government’s long-term plan for living with the virus, prompting concern among public health specialists and opposition lawmakers.
The move will see the legal requirement to self-isolate for up to 10 days after testing positive dropped a month earlier than planned. The government is also controversially expected to scale back access to free Covid tests.
It comes just one day after Britain’s Queen Elizabeth tested positive for Covid. The 95-year-old monarch is experiencing mild symptoms, according to Buckingham Palace. The queen is widely believed to have had three shots of coronavirus vaccine, but only the first was formally acknowledged.
Physicians have expressed concern over the government’s “living with Covid” plan, with the opposition Labour Party questioning the decision to phase out free lateral flow tests.
Speaking ahead of the announcement, Johnson said the rule change will mark a “moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country’s history.”
“The pandemic is not over but thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout we are now one step closer towards a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others,” Johnson said.
The prime minister will meet with his Cabinet on Monday morning before updating lawmakers in the House of Commons. A press conference is expected to be held later in the day.
Considerable uncertainty
Downing Street says it is in a “strong position” to consider lifting remaining legal restrictions in England following its vaccination program. It added the pandemic “is not over” and the government would continue to take a cautious approach in learning to live with the virus.
More than 81% of adults have now received a booster vaccine dose in England, while cases continue to fall after the record highs caused by the highly transmissible omicron variant.
The government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has said there is considerable uncertainty about the path the pandemic will now take in the U.K.
An open letter from around 300 scientists and medics published Sunday called into question the scientific basis for the government’s decision to end free testing, surveillance surveys and legal isolation of Covid cases.
The letter’s signatories have requested clarity from the government’s scientific advisors on the advice underpinning these decisions.
“Boris Johnson is declaring victory before the war is over, in an attempt to distract from the police knocking at his door,” Labour’s health spokesman Wes Streeting said via Twitter on Saturday.
Downing Street confirmed last week that Johnson had submitted a written response to police questions about parties held over the last two years. Johnson has so far resisted…
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