The UK has already pretty much done away with mask mandates. Now they look to end most of the rest
UK PM Boris Johnson to lift all remaining Covid restrictions in England
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. (snip)
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.
Well, the meeting is actually postponed till, supposedly, later in the day, due to many in the UK Parliament being very concerned over the ending of “free” COVID testing (some vulnerable groups would still be eligible). Free tests, which are actually paid for by the government, meaning all the people through taxation, is the one thing they should keep, at least for, say, 6 months. It would certainly make sure that people who think they are exposed will properly get tested, rather than being out and about in public and at work spreading Chinese flu.
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.
Yet, COVID, mostly Delta and Omicron, raged through the U.K.? Huh. Really, though, the biggest change would be the legal obligation to self isolate
The Prime Minister is expected to unveil his ‘living with Covid’ plan today, with reports it will include the end of universal free tests, as well as the legal requirement to self-isolate.
This means companies will have to decide whether to pay for tests for staff, and set their own self-isolation policies. (snip)
The business minister told Sky News: ‘I would say that it’s like any illness, frankly, any transmissible illness that you would say stay at home.’
He said if an employee had flu, they would be expected to stay at home, ‘but it’ll be down to themselves or down to their employer’.
Asked what action employees should take if their employers tried to force them in if they were ill with Covid, Mr Scully said: ‘This is why we need to make sure that we’ve got really good guidance for employers.
Yeah, there needs to be some seriously good guidance. Really, if you are sick with anything you shouldn’t go to work, and employers shouldn’t force the workers to come in. There’s actually, under UK law, serious concern over the business being sued by the non-sick if the sick come to work, voluntarily or because they were told to come in. Businesses would be smart to tell employees to stay home for a few days, not come in even if the employee just thinks it’s a cold. As nations move into post-COVID days, treating it as endemic, you will hopefully see things change, where companies really stress to not come in.
Of course, what about those without sick pay? That’s a big baliwick, and the unions are making all sorts of hay over removing government funded sick pay. Businesses are going to have to figure this out. Everywhere.
Meanwhile
Australia welcomes back tourists with toy koalas, Tim Tams
International tourists and business travelers began arriving in Australia with few restrictions on Monday, bringing together families in tearful reunions after separations of two years or longer forced by some of the most draconian pandemic measures of any democracy in the world.
Australia closed its borders to tourists in March 2020 in a bid to reduce the local spread of COVID-19, but on Monday removed its final travel restrictions for fully vaccinated passengers.
Those travel restrictions didn’t really help, eh? Not with COVID having raged around the country multiple times.
Just as we hear that Her Majesty the Queen has tested positive for COVID-19. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales tested positive earlier, as did Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall.