No 10 defends permitting daily testing for those in contact with Covid-positive cases

The prime minister’s spokesperson has defended Plan B restrictions which permit contacts of those people who test positive for coronavirus to take daily tests rather than be forced to self-isolate.

Arguing that this is a “reasonable way to ensure or to reduce the risk of spread whilst also reducing the impact, on an individual level, of self-isolation.”

The No 10 spokesperson also said the government had considered clinical advice and echoed ministers’ lines earlier today that “we’re trying to strike the right balance between public health measures and obviously the impact that self-isolating can have on an individual level”.

In Scotland, household contacts of those who have tested positive for coronavirus will be legally required to self-isolate regardless of whether they test positive for the virus, first minister Nicola Sturgeon announced earlier today.

“Given that Omicron is now becoming dominant, our response to it has to be more general,” she explained to Scotland’s latest Covid briefing.

She went on: “From tomorrow, our advice will be that all household contacts of any confirmed Covid case should isolate for 10 days, regardless of their vaccination status and even if they initially get a negative PCR test.”

“I know this is not easy and we will obviously keep it under review, we will also ensure careful exemptions for critical services but we believe this to be essential at this moment to help slow transmission,” she added.

According to the European Medicines Agency, Omicron cases appear to be “mostly mild” thus far.

The minister for small business Paul Scully told BBC One’s Breakfast programme this morning that the new Plan B restrictions, including mandatory face masks coming into force this morning, were intended to give the government “breathing space” ahead of further study of the Omicron variant’s impact on hospitalisations and deaths.

The new guidelines, announced on Wednesday evening, also include advice to work from home, and the requirement of vaccine certification for entry into nightclubs and large indoor and outdoor venues. A negative lateral flow test will also remain sufficient for entry.