Boris Johnson announces plan to end final Covid restrictions including self-isolation a month early

Boris Johnson has said he plans to end the last domestic Covid restrictions in England including the legal duty to self-isolate within weeks.

The current regulations were due to expire on March 24 but Mr Johnson announced at Prime Ministers’ Questions he intends to lift them “a full month early”.

Mr Johnson said he would present the Government’s “Living With Covid” strategy when the Commons returns from its recess on February 21.

The Prime Minister is aiming to lift the rules shortly after, with his spokesperson saying it was likely to happen on or around February 24.

Opening Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson said: "It is my intention to return on the first day after the half-term recess to present our strategy for living with Covid.

"Provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions - including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive - a full month early."

The decision will end almost two years of laws requiring those who test positive for Covid to self-isolate.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman clarified that the Government would not “recommend” people with Covid go to work, but the legal requirement to self isolate would be scrapped if hospital admissions continue to fall.

He said: “We are removing the regulations to self isolate. [But] in the same way we wouldn’t recommend someone with flu go to work, we wouldn’t recommend someone with Covid go to work.”

The spokesman said it was thanks to the British people who came forward in “huge” numbers to get vaccinated that the country was in a position to remove restrictions.

“It is that level of protection that means we are allowed to move forward,” he said.

Former Brexit minister Lord Frost, who resigned from Government over its Covid strategy, was among those welcoming the move.

“The PM’s plan to end all Covid restrictions a month early is the right thing to do and is extremely welcome,” he said.

The move would make England among the first countries in the world to fully drop its domestic legal Covid restrictions.

Mandatory self-isolation has already been scrapped for vaccinated close contacts of Covid cases.

People with Covid in England or have symptoms can end isolation after five full days, if they test negative on day five and day six.

However, in Scotland and Wales, people must self-isolate for at least seven days.

The announcement comes as the Prime Minister faces continuing pressure on his leadership over the ongoing row surrounding ‘Partygate’.

A new image published by the Mirror on Wednesday afternoon appeared to show the Prime Minister flanked by three members of staff at Christmas event.

An open bottle of champagne is seen at the event which was allegedly held on December 15, 2020, according to the paper.

However, responding to a question about the photo during PMQs, Mr Johnson said it was “completely in error” to describe the image of him at a Christmas quiz as being a party.

Latest figures show there were 11,471 patients in hospital in England with Covid on February 8.

This is down 11% on the previous week but still higher than levels before Christmas.

However just 385 patients were in mechanical ventilator beds, the lowest number since last July.

Covid cases in England currently average just under 64,000 a day, the lowest since mid-December, though this only includes people who have reported a positive test result and does not reflect the prevalence of the virus across the whole population.

The Prime Minister's announcement came as Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said the UK is "past the point" where vaccinating young, healthy children against Covid-19 will do any good.

Experts from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation are expected to present their decision on the issue shortly.

Prof Hunter told BBC Radio 4's Today programme infection rates in children are "falling really quickly at the moment", adding: "So I think in many ways we're past the point where vaccines are actually going to make much difference."

He said jabs were given to older children to hopefully protect them from interruptions to their schooling, but added: "We haven't seen that vaccines have actually done a huge amount to stop these interruptions, so I think the benefits are marginal, and it's probably too late because most kids have already had Omicron."