Source: Wikimedia Commons, Marc Auledas
By: Twinkle Dharmani
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his ‘Living with Covid’ plan on Monday (February 21), making England the first country to scrap all legal restrictions pertaining to Covid-19. The plan has various key aspects which are being implemented in three stages.
Legal requirement to self-isolate on testing positive – from February 24
While the people are still advised to stay at home if they test positive for covid, it is no more a legal requirement to do so. This will also bring an end to routine contact tracing and £500 self-isolation payments.
Amends to statutory sick pay – from March 24
Anyone testing positive for covid will no longer be able to claim statutory sick pay on day one. Instead, like in the case of any other sickness, a person testing positive will only be eligible for sick pay on day four.
End to free universal testing – from April 1
One of England’s important lines of defense in its fight against Covid-19 was the free universal testing. However, the new plan effectively scraps away free mass testing for both symptomatic and asymptomatic people. This comes amidst the country’s cost of living crisis. Pharmaceutical chains like Boots and Superdrug have already announced their test prices.