Due to the continued spread of the Omicron variant, the UK reported a record number of COVID cases on Wednesday. According to Agence France-Presse, the UK has recorded approximately 1,06,122 cases of the virus in the past 24 hours.
With the surge in cases, the global spread of newly discovered highly mutated variants has become a cause for concern. In addition, British Health Minister Sajid Javid announced earlier in the day that the self-quarantine period for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK will be reduced from 10 days to 7 days. This will apply to people who have had two negative lateral flow test (LFT) results on the 6th and 7th day after the start of the quarantine.
UK shortens self-isolation period from 10 days to 7 days
Javid stated that this change was made after consultations with the UK Health and Safety Agency (UKHSA) to minimize interference with frontline services and other businesses. Previously, if a person tested positive for the coronavirus, they had to self-quarantine for 10 days. In addition, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision not to implement further restrictions to prevent the spread of Omicron variant COVID has also been opposed to many scientists.
They believe that waiting until the New Year is “too late” to have a major impact on the pandemic. They believe that if these restrictions are implemented earlier, it may be too late, because the growth rate of infection rates may have stagnated or declined by then.
After the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Johnson announced earlier that he will not implement additional COVID restrictions at this time. He said that data on the hospitalization rate of Omicron infected persons will remain “continuously evaluated.”
At the same time, according to the British Daily News, government sources have hinted that further restrictions may be imposed after Christmas. However, the report added that as the number of Omicron infections in most parts of the UK doubles every 48 hours, the country may have reached a point where the rate of expansion has begun to slow and the number of cases has stabilized.
Complete News Source : REPUBLICWORLD.COM
