The Government has announced the ‘Living with Covid-19’ plan, for removing the remaining legal restrictions while maintaining resilience.
The timetable for removing existing rules and restrictions is:
From 24 February, the Government will:
- Remove the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test. Adults and children who test positive will continue to be advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least five full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days.
- No longer ask fully vaccinated close contacts and those aged under 18 to test daily for seven days and remove the legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate.
- End self-isolation support payments, national funding for practical support and the medicine delivery service will no longer be available.
- End routine contact tracing. Contacts will no longer be required to self-isolate or advised to take daily tests.
- End the legal obligation for individuals to tell their employers when they are required to self-isolate.
From 24 March:
-
The COVID-19 provisions within Statutory Sick Pay and Employment and Support Allowance regulations will end. People with Covid-19 may still be eligible, subject to the normal conditions of entitlement. 40.
From 1 April, the Government will:
- Update guidance setting out the ongoing steps that people with Covid-19 should take to minimise contact with other people.
- No longer provide free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public in England.
- Remove the current guidance on domestic voluntary Covid-status certification and will no longer recommend that certain venues use the NHS Covid Pass.
- Remove the health and safety requirement for every employer to explicitly consider Covid-19 in their risk assessments
- Replace the existing set of ‘Working Safely’ guidance with new public health guidance
- Consult with employers and businesses to ensure guidance continues to support them to manage the risk of Covid-19 in workplaces
- Continue to promote and support good ventilation. Employers and businesses should continue identifying poorly ventilated spaces and take steps to improve fresh air flow.
Going forward, the Government’s Plan is based on Four Principles: Living with Covid-19, Protecting people most vulnerable to Covid-19, Maintaining resilience and Securing innovations and opportunities.
More information and download a pdf of the document on the GOV.UK website.
