British PM unveils plan to end final Covid-19 restrictions this month

Current Covid-19 restrictions were set to expire on March 24 but Johnson on Wednesday suggested rules could expire later this February, Xinhua news agency reported. "Providing the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions, including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive, a full month early," the Prime Minister told MPs.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that he plans to remove all remaining Covid-19 restrictions in England a month earlier than planned.

Current Covid-19 restrictions were set to expire on March 24 but Johnson on Wednesday suggested rules could expire later this February, Xinhua news agency reported.

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"Providing the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions, including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive, a full month early," the Prime Minister told MPs.

During this week's installment of Prime Minister's questions in the House of Commons, the lower house of the British Parliament, Johnson said he would present the government's "Living With Covid" strategy when the Commons returns from its recess on February 21.

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As of the end of January, people with Covid-19 in England can end their self-isolation after five full days, as long as they test negative on day five and six.

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As of Tuesday, Britain had recorded 17,932,803 Covid-19 cases and 158,677 related deaths, according to official figures.

Also Read | New York state to lift mask or vaccination mandate for indoor business

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More than 91 per cent of people aged 12 years and above in Britain have had their first vaccine dose, more than 84 per cent have received both doses, and nearly 65 per cent have received booster jabs.
 

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