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Coronavirus: self-isolation scrapped for fully vaccinated adults in Britain
- People identified as close contacts by the test-and-trace programme will instead be advised to take a PCR test from August 16
- All under-18s will also be able to avoid isolation under the new rules
Fully vaccinated adults in Britain will no longer be legally required to self-isolate if they come into contact with a coronavirus case from August 16, the government said.
All under-18s will also be able to avoid isolation under the new rules, according to a statement late on Wednesday from the Department of Health.
People identified as close contacts by the test-and-trace programme will instead be advised to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and will be free to go to work and school as normal.
Will Covid-19 become more infectious with more variants emerging?
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The announcement comes after last month’s so-called “pingdemic,” when a surge in alerts from the National Health Service’s Covid-19 mobile phone app caused havoc for British food producers, retailers and pubs – who warned supply chains were nearing breaking point.
“Getting two doses of a vaccine has tipped the odds in our favour and allowed us to safely reclaim our lost freedoms,” Health Secretary Sajid Javid said.
“Double-jabbed people who test positive will still need to self-isolate.”
Just over three quarters of all British adults have been double-vaccinated, while 89 per cent have had one dose.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: inoculated britons to get a break
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