Durham MP warns ignoring Covid would be 'reckless'

People who test positive for coronavirus will no longer be legally required to isolate from Thursday, and free universal testing will end in April, the Prime Minister announced today.

Mr Johnson detailed the strategy for England to the Commons late on Monday afternoon after a Cabinet disagreement thought to centre on funding for future surveillance of the virus.

Those who receive a positive Covid-19 test will still be advised to stay at home for at least five days, but will not be obliged to under law under the plans subject to parliamentary approval.

Durham City MP Mary Kelly Foy would be 'reckless' to start ignoring Covid now.

Durham City MP Mary Kelly Foy (Image: Contributor)

She said: "It's staggering that when the scientific evidence shows that we are beating the virus, the Government has chosen to get rid of the key ways in which we have been tracking the virus' spread.

"Removing free mass testing is a short-sighted decision which will hit poorest hardest, but also risks costing many much more.

"There are seven million carers in this country, who as it stands, in a few weeks time could be expected to care for the most vulnerable in society totally blind to whether they could be contagious and a risk to those in their care. They need clarity on this.

"Living with covid does not mean we can just ignore it - it is reckless to think otherwise."

Routine contact tracing will also end on Thursday, as will self-isolation payments and the legal obligation for individuals to tell their employers about their requirement to isolate.

Changes to statutory sick pay and employment support allowance designed to help people through the coronavirus pandemic will end on March 24.

People aged 75 and over, the immunosuppressed and those living in care homes will be offered another Covid-19 booster vaccine this spring under the plans.

But free universal testing will be massively scaled back from April 1 and will instead be focused on the most vulnerable, with the UK Health Security Agency set to determine the details, while a degree of asymptomatic testing will continue in the most risky settings such as in social care.

But the Department of Health and Social Care will receive no extra money to deliver the testing.

The Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has said Covid will continue to evolve over the next couple of years.

He told a Downing Street news conference this evening that there was no guarantee that future variants would be less severe.

He said it was essential to maintain a virus surveillance system, the capacity to “ramp up” measures again quickly and to protect the vulnerable.

“This pandemic is not over. The virus is continuing to evolve. It will continue to do so quite fast probably for the next couple of years,” he said.

“There is no guarantee that the next variant is as reduced severity as Omicron. As is it evolves what it is trying to do is to transmit more readily.

“The change in severity is a random by-product. We expect there to be further variants and they could be more severe.”

Professor Sir Chris Whitty said people should still isolate if they have Covid-19.

He said: "As we look at the next weeks, we still have high rates of Omicron and I would urge people in terms of public health advice, and this is very much the Government’s position, that people should still if they have Covid try to prevent other people getting it and that means self-isolating.

“So, that is the public health advice. It would have been the public health advice, and will be the public health advice, for multiple other diseases,” he said, describing it as “standard public health advice for a significant and highly transmissible infection”.

Prof Whitty said maximising ventilation, hand washing and using face masks in enclosed spaces with large numbers of people when there are significant numbers of cases remain important.

In a joint statement, the region’s seven local authorities said: “While the law may be changing, the fact that these measures help to reduce infections, prevent illness, and help keep yourself and those around you safe has not changed.

“The lifting of these requirements does not mean the pandemic is over.

“Covid-19 continues to spread and people of all ages remain susceptible to infection.

“We would continue to ask you to be sensible and cautious in the weeks and months ahead as we all learn to live with Covid.”

Mr Johnson warned the 'pandemic is not over, with the Queen’s positive test a 'reminder this virus has not gone away.

But he told MPs earlier it was time to “move from Government restrictions to personal responsibility”, with “sufficient levels of immunity to complete the transition” from laws to relying on vaccines and treatments.

He said: “It is time that we got our confidence back. We don’t need laws to compel people to be considerate to others. We can rely on that sense of responsibility towards one another.

“So let us learn to live with this virus and continue protecting ourselves and others without restricting our freedoms.”

The Cabinet was due to sign off on the plan on Monday morning, but the meeting was pushed back to the afternoon at the last minute, with the delay understood to centre on Health Secretary Sajid Javid’s demands over how elements would be funded.

Ministers including Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke had already arrived in No 10 before the postponement.

The chaos surrounding the policy, which should help shore up Mr Johnson’s support on the Tory backbenches by ending the remaining legal restrictions in a nation that has lived under measures for nearly two years, came as the PM’s authority was undermined by the partygate scandal.

But No 10 ultimately said the Cabinet gave the strategy its “unanimous backing” after a virtual meeting in the afternoon.

Darlington MP Peter Gibson (Image: Contributor)

Darlington MP Peter Gibson said: “It is right that we reap the benefits of our historic vaccination programme which has enabled us to restore our freedoms as we learn to live with Covid-19, whilst protecting public health.

“From vaccinations, furlough and record investment in our health service, I’m proud of how this Government has responded.

“It’s now time get going and drive our economy forward as we level up in Darlington with new opportunities.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was “not a plan to live well” with Covid and will leave the nation “vulnerable”.

Sir Keir said: “As a nation there is no doubt we need to move on from Covid. 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.”

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, welcomed the news.

She said: “It is heartening to hear that we are now moving to trading based on the safety measures that businesses have put in place and we hope that this will ignite consumer confidence in our sector and beyond.

“The hospitality industry has proved that its venues are safe for staff and consumers and that, when allowed to trade without restrictions, it can be a major driver of economic growth and recovery.”

Matthew Fell, chief policy director of the Chamber of British Industry, said the ‘Living with Covid strategy’ marks a significant step towards normality returning.

He said: “Firms want this to be a springboard for confidence, providing the certainty they need to invest and grow.

“But they are also aware that the virus hasn’t disappeared. “While free testing cannot continue forever, there is a balance to be struck between confidence building and cost-cutting.

"Mass lateral flow testing has kept our economy open and firms continue to believe the economic benefits far outweigh the costs.

"The government now needs to add further guidance on issues like sick pay and employer liability to avoid the risk of a legal vacuum.

“Many firms will continue to be cautious and use extra measures to protect their staff and customers, as they have from the outset.”

Claire Walker, the British Chambers of Commerce, co-executive director, said the Government must not pass public health decisions on to the business community, who are ‘not public health experts’.

She said: “Members continue to tell us that access to free testing is key to managing workplace sickness and maintaining consumer confidence.

"If the government is to remove this, companies must still be able to access tests on a cost-effective basis.

“Businesses also need to understand how Government will respond to further variants of concern, or indeed a future pandemic, and what support would be put in place if new guidance or mandatory restrictions are introduced that have a negative impact on the economy.

“Firms will only truly be able to ‘Live with Covid’ when they are confident that a plan is in place for future outbreaks.

“Uncertainty will put a brake on investment and the shadow of the pandemic could continue to loom over our economy for some time to come.”

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