Freedom Day farce for Johnson
Boris Johnson is under pressure to end the ‘‘mad’’ system of selfisolation as he and two other top ministers were forced into quarantine on Freedom Day.
The prime minister, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid are all isolating after the latter tested positive for Covid and the other two were identified as close contacts.
Downing Street initially said Johnson and Sunak would avoid the required 10 days in isolation by taking part in a pilot scheme allowing them to return to work.
But it was forced into a U-turn after just 160 minutes following a backlash from MPS of all parties, businesses and the public.
Downing Street and the Cabinet Office have now withdrawn completely from the trial.
In the wake of the farce, ministers are urging Johnson to ditch the requirement for fully vaccinated people to self-isolate entirely, as the Government announced that frontline health and social care staff who have had both jabs can continue to work if they are ‘‘pinged’’ by the NHS app.
Yesterday was described as Freedom Day after Johnson announced that it would spell the end of all legal Covid restrictions.
But it is set to be overshadowed by the ‘‘pingdemic’’, with hundreds of thousands of people, most of whom have been contacted through the NHS app, in selfisolation, causing chaos for businesses.
Describing the system as ‘‘mad’’, one Cabinet minister said: ‘‘This ‘pingmageddon’ is getting ridiculous. We have got to get out of this mess and return to normality.’’
A second Cabinet minister said there was pressure on Javid to bring forward the August 16 date on which double-jabbed people will be able to return to work after a negative PCR test.
The minister said the ‘‘pingdemic’’ had escalated since Javid’s decision to back the date two weeks ago and that a rethink was now necessary, adding: ‘‘Opinions are divided within the Government about whether it would be better to bring it forwards.
‘‘The Department of Health pushed for the six-week delay. So many people I know have been pinged – it is extraordinary.
‘‘Last week was significantly more challenging than the week before.’’
Speaking from his official country residence at Chequers, where he is now self-isolating until Monday next week, the prime minister pleaded with the public to be careful as restrictions are lifted, saying: ‘‘Please, please, please be cautious.
‘‘Go forward into the next step with all the right prudence and respect for other people and the risks that the disease continues to present.
‘‘And above all, please, please, please, when you’re asked to get that second jab and get your jab, please come forward and do it.’’
Johnson insisted the right thing was to ‘‘stick with the programme’’ on self-isolation.