Boris Johnson has announced to Parliament his plan to end all Covid restrictions in England this week.
People who test positive for coronavirus will no longer be legally required to isolate from Thursday, while free universal testing will end in April under the PM's plan for “living with Covid”.
Those who receive a positive Covid-19 test will still be advised to stay at home for at least five days, but will not be obliged to under law under the plans subject to parliamentary approval.
Routine contact tracing will also end on Thursday, as will self-isolation payments and the legal obligation for individuals to tell their employers about their requirement to isolate.
Mr Johnson also told MPs that changes to statutory sick pay and employment support allowance designed to help people through the coronavirus pandemic will end on March 24.
Here is some of the reaction to the plans...
From the Opposition and other MPs
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “Free tests can’t continue forever, but if you’re 2-1 up with 10 minutes to go you don’t sub off one of your best defenders.”
He told the Commons: “All we’ve got today is yet more chaos and disarray. Not enough to prepare us for the new variants which may yet develop. An approach that seems to think that living with Covid means simply ignoring it.
“This morning he couldn’t even persuade his own Health Secretary to agree the plan. So what confidence can the public have that this is the right approach?”
He said the Labour Party does not want to see restrictions in place “for a moment longer than necessary” but said “we have to take the public with us”.
He called on the Government to publish the scientific evidence behind removing the requirement to self-isolate “including the impact on the clinically extremely vulnerable”.
He said the British people will continue to act “responsibly” and “do the right thing” of testing and isolating if positive, but said he can’t understand why the Government is “taking away the tools that will help them to do that”.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford argued the decisions are “bereft of science or consultation”.
He said: “This statement was billed as the Prime Minister’s moment of pride but it’s clear that this morning has been a moment of panic for this Government. Disagreement across Whitehall and a lack of any serious engagement with the devolved nations shows that these decisions are bereft of science or consultation.
“It appears these dangerous choices are purely political and are being made up on the hoof, it is another symptom of a Government in turmoil. The illogical reality of UK finance means that these decisions made for England by a failing Prime Minister affect the money the devolved nations have to provide testing.”
He added: “Will the Prime Minister now confirm what the residual funding for testing will be to enable the Scottish Government to pick up the pieces of this chaotic withdrawal of support.”
He went on: “PCR testing, the legal requirement to self isolate and access to lateral flow testing have been instrumental Prime Minister in containing the virus. As we move forward to live with Covid, these are the very safeguards which support a return to normal life and these short sighted decisions have long-term implications.”
He added: “A Prime Minister who has no moral authority to lead desperately seeking to appease his backbenchers….This statement is not about protecting the public, it’s about the Prime Minister scrambling to save his own skin.”
Conservative former health secretary Jeremy Hunt pressed the Prime Minister on plans to ensure the NHS has “enough doctors for the future”.
Health and social care select committee chairman Mr Hunt said: “Does the Prime Minister agree when it comes to future pandemics that the real danger zones are those early months when we don’t have a vaccine against a new virus and in that context, it’s not just whether the NHS can cope, but whether the NHS can cope without switching off other vital, life-saving treatments?
“And if he agrees with that, that it’s not just enough to say that we have more doctors and nurses than we had before, but that we also need to make sure we have enough doctors for the future? And if he has plans for that, will he please tell the House how he will make sure that we are actually training enough?”
Boris Johnson replied: “We have a vast plan to recruit more nurses and more doctors than ever before.
“There already are more in the NHS than anytime… there are 45,000 more now this year, healthcare professionals than there were last year. We will continue to fund them.”
From teachers
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said Covid-related absences caused “high disruption” for schools and demanded to know whether there would be any funding for better ventilation.
She said: “We have come very far in our fight against Covid. The NHS’s work to deliver the vaccine and booster programmes has made an enormous difference, and we are in a much better place than two years ago. But it is not the case that we have defeated Covid, nor that everyone can ‘live’ with it. The Government’s own attendance data for schools shows the high disruption caused by illness and isolation. Whereas Omicron has faded across the population, it is nonetheless a presence in schools.
“We need to know if the chief medical officer and chief scientific officer support the move to end isolation for those who test positive with Covid from Thursday. It is vital that public health, not political considerations, decide that date. We also want to know if the Government is planning any further investment in measures such as improved ventilation.
“Once again an announcement has been made by the Prime Minister without any guidance for schools in place, and on a timescale where assimilation of any forthcoming guidance will rely on it being coherent in the first place. School leaders will not be holding their breath.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union, NAHT, said “unambiguous guidance” was needed so teachers and parents “have a clear understanding of what to do should a child or member of staff have Covid”.
He said: “Without that clarity, there is a real risk the Government could create a chaotic situation in schools and put school leaders in an impossible position. We simply cannot expect schools to manage this on an individual basis, there must be clear guidance from the public health experts.
“It is important that parents remember that schools are only finding out about this today, just as they are. Like parents, they will have a wide range of questions that they need government to answer. We ask that parents are patient with schools as it will obviously take some time for them to unpick and implement yet another set of changes.
“Judging from what the Prime Minister has said, the Government has replaced the legal responsibility for testing and isolation with a personal responsibility to keep each other safe.
“Schools and families will still need to co-operate to keep schools open. Access to lateral flow tests is an important part of any plan to live with Covid as we move forward. It’s crucial that they remain free for all pupils, or the consequences and disruption for disadvantaged pupils, in particular, could be severe."
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We understand the desire to live with Covid and to return to a semblance of normality after two years of societal and educational upheaval. Our concern is that just by saying that it is at an end does not make it so.
“By removing the legal requirement to self-isolate after a positive test, along with twice-weekly testing for pupils and staff in schools and colleges, there is a risk that this may actually lead to an increase in disruption if it means that more positive cases come into the classroom.
“Staff and pupils are often absent not just because they test positive but because they are actually ill with the coronavirus and this will obviously not abate if there is more transmission.
“We are also concerned about where this leaves vulnerable staff and pupils, or those with a household member who is vulnerable. These individuals will inevitably feel more scared and less protected by the relaxation of even the fairly limited control measures that are currently in place.
“The change in the rules to advise rather than require self-isolation also opens the door for conflict with parents who may interpret symptoms that may or may not be coronavirus differently from their child’s teachers.”
He added: “Like everyone else, we want to see the back of coronavirus, but this does feel like a headlong rush rather than a sensibly phased approach. The goal must be to keep children in the classroom for as much of the time as possible. This plan does not seem to meet that objective and may in fact be counter-productive.”
From business
Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, welcomed the plan for “living with Covid” but called for further support for the sector.
He said: “The withdrawal of the remaining Covid restrictions is welcomed by the Night Time Industries Association. We now need to see further economic support for our sector to regain consumer confidence and ensure a full recovery from the pandemic.”
“Despite this most recent announcement, we will remain focussed on our responsibility to keep customers and staff safe, maintaining baseline mitigations as we have done since July 19 2021.”
He added: “We are calling for the extension of VAT and business rates relief to allow businesses the financial headroom to survive. This is a sector that has sacrificed more than just about any other part of the economy, and it seems right that continued support is commensurate with the scale of hit that we took during the pandemic.”
Paul Reed, chief executive of the Association of Independent Festivals, warned the lifting of coronavirus restrictions does not mean festivals are “back to business as usual”.
He said: “While we welcome legal restrictions around Covid-19 coming to an end and the prospect of a full capacity festival season, the effects of the pandemic are still being felt by the independent festival sector and the need for Government action remains. With festival organisers facing crippling cost increases of up to 30% across operations and infrastructure, this is not back to business as usual for festivals and it is not a case of ‘job done’ for ministers.
“AIF reiterates its call for ongoing support from Government in the form of continued VAT relief on festival tickets to maintain the current reduced 12.5% rate on tickets beyond the end of March; and to also explore some form of Government-backed loan scheme for suppliers to alleviate some of these pressures and encourage investment in the festival supply chain.”
From the rest of the UK
Northern Ireland’s Health Minister Robin Swann has said his department will “carefully consider” the Living With Covid plan unveiled in England.
Mr Swann said no decisions have been taken on any changes to Test and Trace in Northern Ireland.
“My department continues to keep all aspects of the Covid-19 test-and-trace programme in Northern Ireland under review to ensure it remains proportionate and effective,” he said.
“Our key priorities for testing include ensuring that it is prioritised for those who need it most. It is also imperative that we have appropriate contingency planning in place, with flexible testing capability which can be rapidly deployed to respond to any future variants or seasonal surges. Robust surveillance systems must also be maintained, to ensure any new developments in the pandemic are swiftly detected.
“Keeping the public safe, in particular those at highest risk of severe illness, will continue to be at the centre of our considerations. Any policy changes will be informed by the latest clinical and scientific advice and consideration of the Covid situation in Northern Ireland.”
Mr Swann added: “Covid-19 remains a serious health risk, particularly for those who are vulnerable. It is vital that we do not let our guard down. We can all help to keep the people close to us safe by continuing to make safer choices and following the latest guidance.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he expects rules on wearing face coverings on the Transport for London network will be lifted following the Government’s announcements.
“Following the Government dropping all legal Covid restrictions, and in light of falling infection levels in London, it is expected that wearing a face covering will no longer be a condition of carriage on the TfL network,” he said.
“However, we know that face coverings remain a simple, effective measure that give Londoners confidence to travel, and following clear advice from public health advisers, TfL will likely continue to recommend their use on the network.
“I urge passengers to be considerate of their fellow Londoners and continue to wear a face covering where appropriate unless exempt.”
Mr Khan also said in order for restrictions to be lifted “in the safest possible way”, the Government “must rethink its plans to abandon free testing” as well as ensuring financial support for those that cannot work from home if they test positive.
“We cannot have a situation where only the well-off can afford to ‘live with Covid’ safely or one where we’re not keeping an eye on new variants posing a risk to the country,” he said.
