UK ‘freest in Europe’ on Covid restrictions claims Health Secretary as he cuts isolation period

The Health secretary Sajid Javid has claimed that the UK is the “leading world in learning to live with Covid” as he announced his plans to slash isolation periods in England.

From next Monday people who have tested negative for Covid will be permitted to leave isolation from day six.

He cited evidence from the UK Health Security Agency that two thirds of cases are no longer infectious from day five.
People currently have to wait until day eight to leave isolation, even if they had tested negative two days in a row.

He also said that the UK is the freest country in Europe in terms of Covid guidelines.

This announcement comes as the government is facing increasing heat over staffing shortages due to people isolating with the virus.

New NHS Ambulance Service statistics have shown that for category C1-C2 calls, the average response time in December 2021 for England was the second longest ever, after October 2021.

The Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Midwives have asked the Health secretary to delay mandatory jabs for frontline NHs staff for risk “self sabotage” amid already pressing staffing gaps.