The prime minister has announced a raft of changes to Covid rules, including ending self-isolation rules entirely and scrapping free testing.
From Thursday, there will no longer be a requirement for anyone testing positive in England to self-isolate, Boris Johnson told MPs. Instead, people will be expected to exercise “personal responsibility”. From 1 April, free universal Covid testing will end in England too – something health experts and scientists have warned could threaten the safety of vulnerable sectors of the population.
It comes after ministers gave their “unanimous” backing to the PM’s “living with Covid” plan earlier today, after Downing Street was temporarily thrown into chaos when the meeting of Cabinet was delayed due to reports of Sajid Javid, the health secretary and Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, locking horns over testing costs.
Mr Johnson will address the public in a televised address later today, alongside Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, to confirm the changes set out in Westminster.
