Source::AP
In line with many international organizations like UNWTO, WHO, IATA guidelines and advice for countries to open, the government announced that all government-mandated COVID-19 restrictions that were enforced in England have been lifted, including the requirement for positive-tested individuals to isolate at home.
Officials have said that those who have tested positive for COVID-19 will still be advised by the local government to stay at home for at least five days. But this change means this will remain only as a suggestion and will not be legally obliged to do so.
In addition, routine tracing of infected people's contacts has also been scrapped and lower-income workers will not get compensated for their loss in income due to isolation. The government have clarified that their strategy of 'living with COVID' means that they are shifting their approach from 'legal restrictions to personal responsibility.
This includes massively cutting back on free universal coronavirus testing from April 1. While England has already put their case numbers and load in the healthcare sector under control after the surge in December, many critics have argued whether it was too early to end all restrictions.
While 85% of UK's people from age 12 and above have been vaccinated with 66% having their third or booster shot, The British Medical Association warned that this strategy fails to protect the most vulnerable people with the highest risk of COVID-19. The UK still has the highest mortality numbers in Europe after Russia with 161,000 recorded deaths.
