Legal requirement to self-isolate with Covid will be SCRAPPED in March - or even earlier

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Boris Johnson said the legal requirement on people with coronavirus to self-isolate will be scrapped in March. The rule will be allowed to be lapse when the regulations expire on March 24, the Prime Minister told the House of Commons during PMQ's this afternoon.

He also said this date could be brought forward to even sooner if a vote is passed. Under current guidance, those who test positive for coronavirus have to quarantine for at least five full days, so long as they test negative on a lateral flow test on days five and six. READ MORE: Commons LIVE as Greater Manchester MP DEFECTS from Tories to Labour moments before on-the-ropes Boris Johnson takes PMQs The rules apply whether someone is vaccinated or not.

The self-isolation period was originally 10 days, then was cut to seven days. Boris Johnson also announced that England will return to Plan A after claiming that scientists believe Omicron has 'peaked nationally'.

Speaking to MPs today, he said: "As we return to Plan A, the House will know that some measures still remain, including those on self-isolation. "In particular, it is still a legal requirement for those who have tested positive for Covid to self-isolate. "On Monday we reduced the isolation period to five full days with two negative tests, and there will soon come a time when we can remove the legal requirement to self-isolate altogether, just as we don’t place legal obligations on people to isolate if they have flu. "As Covid becomes endemic, we will need to replace legal requirements with advice and guidance, urging people with the virus to be careful and considerate of others. "The self-isolation regulations expire on March 24, at which point I very much expect not to renew them.