What are the new rules for England and Northern Ireland on self-isolation? | Coronavirus

England and Northern Ireland, from Monday, followed Scotland and Wales in relaxing the rules so that fully vaccinated people no longer have to self-isolate if they are contacts close quarters of people who tested positive for Covid-19.

What will people do under these circumstances instead?

They are advised to take a PCR test – the most reliable method to determine if they have Covid-19. It will not be mandatory and they will not have to isolate themselves while waiting for the result.

However, they are advised to take other precautions such as wearing a face covering in confined spaces and limiting contact with other people, especially anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable.

The new guidelines will apply to people who have received their final dose of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before coming into contact with a positive case.

Anyone under the age of 18 six months or anyone who has not been able to get vaccinated for medical reasons is also not required to self-isolate if they come into contact with a positive case.

What happens if someone tests positive?

In this case, they are still legally required to self-isolate. People who develop symptoms should self-isolate and take a PCR test, remaining in isolation until the result returns, authorities said.

The new guidelines will apply to people who have received their final dose of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before coming into contact with a positive case. People who test positive will still be legally required to self-isolate.

How does the new policy on self-isolation apply to people in the same household?

Those who are fully vaccinated – as well as those under 18 years and six months – will not be required to self-isolate even if they are living with someone who tests positive for Covid-19.

For the vaccinated person, at least 14 days must have passed since receiving the recommended doses of an approved vaccine.

They are also advised to take a PCR test as soon as possible and to consider additional measures, including limiting close contact with other people outside their homes, especially in confined spaces.

In addition, they are advised to wear a face covering in confined spaces and, where possible, to maintain social distancing by limiting contact with anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable.

Are there any concerns about the change?

Yes. An expert from an advisory group advising the government expressed concern that some people would not go for a PCR test if they feared missing their job.

“The problem is, if you now make the choice for people to take a test, and therefore have to isolate yourself if you are positive, people are not going to take that test if they cannot afford to be positive,” said Professor Stephen Reicher, University of St Andrews and member of the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviors (SPI-B).

“So we need to give more support to people so that they can isolate themselves,” added Reicher, who told Sky News that testing should have been made mandatory.

The shift in focus also comes at a time when the daily case count hovers above 25,000. Scientists fear the move may increase infection levels, given that the Delta variant has the potential to infect fully vaccinated people.

“It is very likely that this change will fuel an increase in infection levels and lead to further hospitalizations and deaths. This will add to the current sense of complacency and the idea that we are on top of the pandemic, ”said Lawrence Young, virologist and professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick.

“While accepting that the disruption caused by ‘pingemia’ is not sustainable, it is important to recognize that the virus is still circulating in the population and that the more infectious Delta variant has changed the equation.”

What impact should the change have on the pandemic?

Lifting measures such as the legal requirement for people to self-isolate if they come in contact with a positive case “will slightly reduce” the effectiveness of contact tracing, says Professor Neil Ferguson, disease modeller and epidemiologist at Imperial College London.

But he added that much depended on how well people followed advice to get tested and then self-isolate if they were positive themselves, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today program. .

“However, if people don’t get tested, we will see the transmission increase a bit because of this measure,” he added.

When asked if he agreed with Reicher’s view that these tests should be mandatory, he said the population on the whole had been fairly cautious coming out of the last lockdown. .

It was a political judgment on whether testing should be mandatory, but he said it was notable that contact rates are now lower than at this time last summer.

What is the situation in Wales and Scotland?

The change went into effect in Wales on August 7, when instead of asking fully vaccinated adults to self-isolate, contact tracers and counselors began providing people with advice and guidance on how to protect yourself and stay safe.

Anyone identified as a contact of a positive case in Wales will continue to be asked to undergo a PCR test on days two and eight, whether or not they are fully vaccinated.

In Scotland, it is also already true that doubly vaccinated adults and all children can avoid self-isolation as close contact as long as they are asymptomatic and provide a negative PCR test.