The government plans to end all Covid restrictions in England a month earlier than planned.
As well as self-isolation, masks in hospitals, GP surgeries and pharmacies will be scrapped, as will the councils ability to enforce mask-wearing in schools and shut down premises linked to outbreaks.
However, people will still be asked to self-isolate following a positive Covid test, although this won’t be enforced and free testing kits will still be provided.
The prime minister told MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions Wednesday: “Provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation 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 said he would present the government’s “Living With Covid” strategy when the Commons returns from its recess on February 21.
The self-isolation rule was originally set to be scrapped on March 24.
It comes as some European countries, including Greece, Portugal and France are relaxing travel restrictions.
Clément Beaune, France’s Europe minister, told France 2 TV on Wednesday: “We again required tests in December over the Omicron variant. In the coming days we will announce that tests are no longer needed for vaccinated people.”
