Kovid-19: Boris Johnson announces the end of most restrictions

Boris Johnson on Wednesday 19 January announced the end of most restrictions against COVID-19 starting next week, as part of the fight against Omicron Edition. The prime minister predicts an end to the isolation of positive cases in March. From Thursday 27 January, wearing masks will no longer be legally mandatory, teleworking will no longer be officially recommended and health passes will no longer be applied to entry to nightclubs and some large gatherings, the conservative leader announced in parliament.

“As COVID becomes endemic, we must replace legal obligations with advice and recommendations”, pleaded Boris Johnson. He said he did not intend to extend the rules enforcing isolation for Covid-19 positive cases expiring on March 24. This date can be brought forward. “We don’t legally require people to self-isolate when they have the flu,” he explained.

More than 152,000 people have died in the UK from COVID-19 so far. The latest available data shows a nearly 40% drop in the number of new weekly cases, while the number of hospitalized patients has stabilized. The number of intensive care patients staying short during the Omicron wave is also declining. This relaxation of measures deemed harsh by part of the conservative majority comes sooner than expected, with the anti-Covid system to be reviewed on 26 January, and in the context of the unprecedented crisis for Boris Johnson, mired in the holiday scandal. Downing Street during lockdown.