British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday 19 January that he would end most of the anti-Covid restrictions put in place to fight the Omicron version in England next week, and to end isolation for positive cases in March.

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From Thursday 27 January, wearing masks will no longer be legally mandatory, telework will no longer be officially recommended and health passes will no longer be applied to entry to nightclubs and some large gatherings, announced the Conservative leader in parliament. ,As COVID becomes endemic, we must replace legal obligations with advice and recommendations“, pleaded Boris Johnson.

Number of hospitalized patients stable

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 if they have the flu“, he elaborated. More than 152,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the UK so far. The latest available data shows a nearly 40% drop in the number of new weekly cases, while the number of hospitalized patients remains stable. 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. In the UK, each country sets its own health policy.

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On Tuesday, the Scottish independence government announced the lifting of most restrictions, starting next Monday, allowing nightclubs to reopen and removing the three-house limit for indoor meetings. Telecom is still recommended. The Welsh government also announced a gradual exit from virus restrictions last week. Wells has reached the peak of the Omicron wave and cases continue to decline.

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