UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that all COVID-19 restrictions   – including the demand to ego - isolate if you test prescribed for the disease   – will be lift by March 24 .

Johnson , who face potential challenge to his leading postdate claims of12 normal - part partiesor societal consequence during various stages of lockdown , announced on Wednesdaythat the necessary to wear mask in shops and on public transport would also terminate , as well as COVID bye for gravid events from next week .

" On Monday we reduced the closing off period to five full days with two negative run , and there will soon come a time when we can remove the legal prerequisite to ego - isolate altogether   – just as we do n’t place legal obligations on people to insulate if they have grippe , " hetold the House of Commons .

" As COVID becomesendemicwe will need to replace effectual requirement with advice and direction urging people with the virus to be careful and considerate of others . The ego - isolation regulations pop off on 24th March , at which degree I very much await not to reincarnate them . Indeed were the data to admit , I would like to seek a vote in this House to impart that particular date send on . "

The idea that COVID-19 is endemic has been account as " wishful thinking " by Lawrence Young from the University of Warwick prior to this decision , as well as the World Health Organization .

“ In terms of endemicity , we ’re still a fashion off , ” Dr Catherine Smallwood , the World Health Organization Europe ’s aged emergency officer severalize apress briefingon January 11 .

“ Endemicity take over that , first of all , there ’s unchanging circulation of the computer virus at predictable floor , and potentially known and predictable waves of epidemic transmission , ” she said . “ We really need to take hold back on behaving as if it ’s autochthonic before [ … ] the virus itself is behaving as if it ’s endemic . ”

criticise the latest decision to abandon isolation prerequisite for positive cases ,   Mathematical Biologist at the University of BathKit Yatestold IFLScience that the conclusion " feels like a mi - step " .

" Rapid sidelong flow tests in combination with self - closing off has been one of the most effective responses to the pandemic in the UK , so to abandon it now and grant higher levels of transmission seems like an own end , " Yates told IFLScience .

" Many of the public are still susceptible and many are extremely vulnerable . empty all attack to control COVID makes their lives less not more free . "

Over the last seven Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , there have been618,458 report positive testsfor COVID-19 in the UK . Though there is evidence that the UK is seeing a declination in cases , that ’s still   922 cases per 100,000 masses , with death still in the hundreds per day . Many are occupy that without other mitigations in place , the virus could see increases again once these restriction are remove .

" If we ’re going polish off some extenuation then we require to check that we have other quantity in post to reduce the contagion of the computer virus – like ameliorate ventilation in shop , employment - place and schooling   – but there ’s no star sign that the UK administration have even thought about doing this comprehensively , " Yates continue .

" To me , the timing of these proclamation , when the Prime Minister is fight for his political liveliness , smacks of a desperate endeavour to curry favor rather than well thought out policy , drive by genuine public health consideration . It ’s stark how quickly the UK government are acting to remove restriction , whilst at the same time failing to play in time to effectively mitigate four consecutive waves of COVID , with satisfying human and economical price . "