UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Trashes Remaining COVID Restrictions

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated on Monday that he is going to toss out the last of the domestic COVID restrictions in the United Kingdom, which includes the requirement for people in the country with the coronavirus to self-isolate.

Johnson stated that the country was “moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility” which is all part of a plan to start treating COVID like any other transmissible virus, similar to the flu.

“We now have sufficient levels of immunity to complete the transition from protecting people with government interventions to relying on vaccines and treatments as the first line of defense,” Johnson stated.

Despite the fact that many scientists issued warnings that getting rid of these restrictions could end up weakening the nation’s ability to monitor and track the virus, Johnson confirmed that the mandatory self-isolation for folks with COVID will end on Thursday and the routine tracing of infected people will stop as well.

Folks will still be advised to stay home if they are ill, but will no longer receive extra financial support that was introduced during the pandemic for those who had to miss work.

via Newsmax:

Many people who think they have COVID-19 may never know for sure. Starting April 1, lab-confirmed PCR tests for the virus will be available free only to older people and the immune-compromised. The government will also stop offering the public free rapid virus tests, though they will be available privately for a price, as is already the case in many countries.

Yet the government stressed that the pandemic is not over and the virus could still spring nasty surprises.

Johnson said the fact that that Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday was “a reminder that this virus has not gone away.”

Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old monarch was experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, was continuing with light duties and would follow all government regulations.

“The new plan foresees vaccines and treatments keeping the virus in check. Everyone 75 and older will be offered a fourth vaccine dose, along with those 12 and up who have conditions that make them vulnerable to severe disease. The government said it will accept recommendations from its vaccine advisory group on whether fourth shots should be offered more widely,” the report said.

Johnson went on to urge people not “throw caution to the winds,” stating it was time to move “away from banning certain courses of action, compelling certain courses of action, in favor of encouraging personal responsibility.”

Quite a few folks in the scientific community believe this is a risk move that could cause a surge in new cases and end up weakening the country’s defenses against even more virulent future strains.

Apparently, the scientific community would like the pandemic and the many restrictions that are part of it to continue indefinitely.

“The government said it would retain a strong surveillance system, including the Infection Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics, which is considered invaluable because it tests people whether or not they have symptoms. It said it also will keep the ability to ramp up testing if needed,” the report stated.

“Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which set their own public health rules, also have opened up, although more slowly,” the report continued. “Monday’s announcement applies only to England, which is home to 56 million of the U.K.’s 67 million people. It leaves England with fewer restrictions than most other European countries, with the exception of Denmark.”

“A combination of high vaccination rates in the U.K. and the milder omicron variant meant that easing restrictions didn’t lead to a surge in hospitalizations and deaths. Both are falling, though the U.K. still has Europe’s highest coronavirus toll after Russia, with more than 160,000 recorded deaths,” the report added.