25th February 2022

Europe

Boris Johnson announces that the limitations due to the coronavirus end this Thursday and that the free tests will end on April 1

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Monday his plan to advance the end of the covid-19 restrictions in England by a month, a territory that this Thursday will become a testing laboratory on how to live with the virus. Health policy for the rest of the UK is decided by the governments of each nation. In England, after almost two years of pandemic, for the first time it will not be mandatory to isolate after testing positive, although the prime minister has stressed the need to "show consideration", so staying home after a contagion will become the recommendation At least until April 1, when it will become a personal decision. On that day, in addition, the large-scale free tests will end, and the tests will only be offered free of charge for symptomatic cases among the older sectors and the most vulnerable groups.

 

The United Kingdom detected the first case of coronavirus on January 31, 2020. 18.5 million diagnoses later, the Government believes that there is now “sufficient level of immunity to rely on vaccines and treatments as a first line of defence” , so on Thursday, along with the end of the mandatory quarantine, the program to track the contacts of infected people and the financial compensation of 500 pounds (600 euros) for sick leave for lower-income workers also ends.

 

The bet is not without controversy, as was evident when Johnson advanced it 10 days ago and as this Monday the opposition has reminded him. Health groups have classified the end of mandatory quarantine as premature and the scientific community, for the most part, agrees that it is a risk. Union organizations have denounced the difficult dichotomy that workers will find themselves in, when they have to choose between going to their jobs with covid or losing income.

For Johnson, it has been the evolution of the virus itself that has tipped the balance: the death figures this winter have been in line with the usual ones at this time of year, despite the record infections registered; case statistics are at their lowest level since the omicron variant was detected in November and the numbers that most concern Downing Street, hospitalizations, are below 10,000, putting the coronavirus on a par with other seasonal viruses. For this reason, the Government has stopped perceiving covid-19 as an extraordinary threat, to consider it at the level of infections such as the flu, which demands a similar approach, based on the immunization of the most vulnerable and the use of antivirals.

The bet is not without controversy, as was evident when Johnson advanced it 10 days ago and as this Monday the opposition has reminded him. Health groups have classified the end of mandatory quarantine as premature and the scientific community, for the most part, agrees that it is a risk. Union organizations have denounced the difficult dichotomy that workers will find themselves in, when they have to choose between going to their jobs with covid or losing income.

For Johnson, it has been the evolution of the virus itself that has tipped the balance: the death figures this winter have been in line with the usual ones at this time of year, despite the record infections registered; case statistics are at their lowest level since the omicron variant was detected in November and the numbers that most concern Downing Street, hospitalizations, are below 10,000, putting the coronavirus on a par with other seasonal viruses. For this reason, the Government has stopped perceiving covid-19 as an extraordinary threat, to consider it at the level of infections such as the flu, which demands a similar approach, based on the immunization of the most vulnerable and the use of antivirals.