Legal mandate to self-isolate with Covid to end this week, Boris Johnson announces

From February 24, those who are infected in England will no longer need to stay home, but guidance will suggest that they do so.

And five weeks later on April 1, universal free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing will come to an end.

However, Labour have labelled the announcements as a “half-baked” plan from “a Government paralysed by chaos and incompetence”.

Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, Mr Johnson emphasised the need for “personal responsibility” when controlling the virus.

Setting out “four principles” on ending all Covid restrictions in England, Boris Johnson told MPs: “First, we will remove all remaining domestic restrictions in law.

“From this Thursday February 24, we will end the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test and so we will also end self-isolation support payments, although Covid provisions for statutory sick pay can still be claimed for a further month.

“We will end routine contact tracing and no longer ask fully vaccinated close contacts and those under 18 to test daily for seven days.”

School pupils will also no longer need to take twice weekly tests, however when the universal offering ends in April, the most vulnerable will still be able to get tests if they are symptomatic.

Explaining the new approach to MPs, Mr Johnson said: “From today we’re removing the guidance for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing and from April 1 when winter is over and the virus will spread less easily, we will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public.

“We will continue to provide free symptomatic tests to the oldest age groups and those most vulnerable to Covid and in line with the practice in many other countries, we’re working with retailers to ensure that everyone who wants to can buy a test.”

Sir Keir Starmer has said that the new approach will “leave us vulnerable”.

“As a nation there is no doubt we need to move on from Covid,” he told Parliament.

“People need to know their liberties are returning and returning for good.

“But this is a half-baked announcement from a Government paralysed by chaos and incompetence. It is not a plan to live well with Covid.”