Johnson lifts Covid-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom in the face of low contagion

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Bloomberg-most Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted in England in the next few days, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, exposing his goal of a transition to "living with" the coronavirus, including the end of mandatory isolation for positive cases, by the end of March.

People will no longer be asked to work from home, and rules requiring people to wear face masks in shops and public transport will be eliminated as of January 27, Johnson told the House of Commons on Wednesday. Covid's mandatory business passes will also end next week.

The measure supersedes rules established in December, when the omicron variant was rapidly spreading throughout the United Kingdom. "scientists believe the omicron wave is likely to have peaked nationally," Johnson said.

Regulations that force people to isolate themselves at home for five days will expire on March 24, "at which time I hope not to renew them," Johnson said. The rule will be removed for Covid-19, "just as we do not impose legal obligations on people to isolate themselves if they have the flu."

His announcement comes when the prime Minister faces the threat of a leadership challenge, with many parliamentarians furious over his handling of claims that he and his staff held parties on Downing Street during the pandemic in violation of confinement rules.

The measure will be welcomed by many conservative members of Parliament who for a long time have called for an end to the so-called "Plan B" restrictions, which they believe unnecessarily curtail people's freedoms.

Confiar en la gente

People will continue to be encouraged to cover their faces in "closed and crowded" areas, but "we trust the trial of the British people," Johnson said.

"after two years of change, small businesses across England will expect this to mark the beginning of a final reduction in trade restrictions," said Mike Cherry, national President of the Federation of Small enterprises, in a statement.

The lifting of restrictions next week is good news for the streets, seeking to recover from the difficulties of the past two years, according to Jacy Tyrell, executive director of the New West end Company, who presses on behalf of companies in the key business district of London.

Great to see a mainstream newspaper advocate for venture capital. Stops short of suggesting measures to strengthen... Http: / / t.co

— Ritesh Banglani Tue Sep 08 04:07:18 +0000 2020

"we trust that the West end can reach £7.5 billion (US $10.216 million) in billing this year as it continues on the long road to recovery," he said.

No se ha acabado

But Michael Head, leading global health researcher at Southampton University, said the country must be prepared to change course if circumstances change again.

“La pandemia ciertamente no ha ‘terminado’ de ninguna manera”, dijo. “Lo mejor que podemos decir es que el Reino Unido está viendo brotes de recuperación, pero no debe haber complacencia en nuestras políticas de respuesta a la pandemia en el futuro”.

Lawrence young, virologist and professor of molecular oncology at Warwick School of Medicine, warned against removing measures too quickly.

At a televised press conference on Downing Street Wednesday night, Health Secretary Sajid Javid described the relaxation of the measures as a "important hit."

"but it's not the end of the road and we shouldn't see this as the finish line because we can't eradicate this virus and its future variants," he said.

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Fauci: it is still too early to confirm that omicron will be the end of the pandemic

Omicron wave could reduce the severity of Covid-19 in the future: study

Drop of cases in London brings hope of omicron withdrawal

This article was translated by Miriam Salazar