Isolation to be cut by a day as omicron starts to wane

Just five full days alone for those testing positive starts on Monday – after first fall in infections since October

SELF-ISOLATION is to be cut by a day in England to a minimum of five full days, as ministers start to relax Covid rules.

Official data suggested the omicron wave has now peaked in the UK, with the first drop in cases since October.

Under the new rules, those isolating after testing positive, or showing symptoms, will be freed from the start of their sixth day, as long as they have a negative lateral flow result that day, and the day before.

The new policy – which starts on Monday – is similar to that of the United States, where isolation lasts five full days, allowing release at the start of day six.

Until now, the first point of exit has been day seven, which also depends on two days of negative tests.

Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, announced the change in the House of Commons yesterday, after weeks of business leaders calling for quarantine periods to be reduced, amid warnings they were crippling major sectors.

Mr Javid said: “I’ve always said to the house that any curbs on our freedom must be an absolute last resort and that we shouldn’t keep them in place for a day longer than absolutely necessary.”

He said data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed that two thirds of positive cases were no longer infectious by the end of day five.

It follows changes to the testing system, so most people with a positive lateral flow test no longer need to take a confirmatory PCR test.

The new system replaces rules introduced just before Christmas in England, when 10 days isolation was replaced with a minimum seven-day spell. This was later introduced in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, which have yet to make further changes.

Figures by UKHSA yesterday revealed the number of cases dropped in the first week of January, the first time weekly cases decreased since October. Its report said that “overall Covid case rates stabilised or decreased” in the first week of the year, although increases were seen in the North East, in those of Pakistani ethnicity, and among those under the age of 20.

The data are supported by the Zoe symptom tracker app run by King’s College London. Prof Tim Spector, lead scientist on the study, said: “Data suggest the omicron wave has peaked, and cases are starting to come down in almost all regions of the UK.

“Hospitalisation, deaths and early data on the severity of omicron is also looking positive. The other reassuring sign is that cases in the elderly are plateauing at a low level, sparing this more vulnerable group from the worst of the omicron wave.”

Adults between 20 and 40 remain the most infected age groups, with almost

‘Data suggest the omicron wave has peaked, and cases are starting to come down in almost all regions’

750,000 confirmed cases in people of this age for the last two weeks.

But because of the recent spike in omicron infections and the ongoing booster campaign, the number of people now with antibodies is at a record high. Office for National Statistics data show that in the week before Christmas, 97.5 per cent of people in England had antibodies. That is probably even higher now due to rampant cases.

Around 4.3 million people are currently infected with coronavirus in the UK, more than at any other single point in the pandemic.

Dr Alicia Demirjian, the Covid-19 public health incident director at UKHSA, said: “Overall daily case rates and hospital admissions continue to be high.

“To protect our loved ones and our health service, it’s still essential that everyone takes all necessary steps to contain this virus. In particular, please get your vaccination or booster jab if you haven’t already.”