Covid-19: Boris Johnson announces the end of most restrictions in England

Europe1 .fr with AFP 3:42 p.m., January 19, 2022

After Scotland, England will relax on their return to anti-covid restrictions.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday that the majority of measures to fight the Omicron variant in England will end next week and provide for the end of isolation for positive cases in March.

From Thursday January 27, wearing a mask will no longer be legally compulsory, teleworking will no longer be officially recommended and a health pass will no longer be imposed for access to nightclubs and certain large gatherings, announced the conservative leader. in Parliament.

"As the Covid becomes endemic, we must replace legal obligations with advice and recommendations", pleaded Boris Johnson.

On March 24, positive patients will no longer have to isolate themselves

He said he did not intend to extend regulations imposing isolation for Covid-19 positive cases when they expire on March 24.

This date could even be brought forward.

"We don't legally require people to self-isolate if they have the flu," he explained.

More than 152,000 people have died in the UK from Covid-19.

The latest data available shows an almost 40% drop in the number of new weekly cases, while the number of hospitalized patients has stabilized.

The number of intensive care patients, which remained low during the Omicron wave, is also decreasing.

A measure that comes in the midst of turmoil for Boris Johnson

This relaxation of measures deemed draconian by part of the conservative majority comes sooner than expected, the anti-Covid system to be reviewed on January 26, and in a context of unprecedented crisis for Boris Johnson, mired in the holiday scandal. in Downing Street during the confinements.