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| Covid-19: Cutting self-isolation to five days would be helpful, Nadhim Zahawi says | Covid-19: Cutting self-isolation to five days would be helpful, Nadhim Zahawi says |
| (31 minutes later) | |
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| Nadhim Zahawi says plans to cut self-isolation to five days are still under review | |
| Cutting the Covid self-isolation period to five days would "certainly help", the UK's former vaccines minister says. | Cutting the Covid self-isolation period to five days would "certainly help", the UK's former vaccines minister says. |
| Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi also denied there were plans to stop supplying free lateral flow tests - after a report in a Sunday paper. | Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi also denied there were plans to stop supplying free lateral flow tests - after a report in a Sunday paper. |
| People who test positive for Covid are required to self-isolate for seven days, but several sectors are experiencing staffing pressure. | People who test positive for Covid are required to self-isolate for seven days, but several sectors are experiencing staffing pressure. |
| Mr Zahawi told the BBC the country was on the road "from pandemic to endemic". | Mr Zahawi told the BBC the country was on the road "from pandemic to endemic". |
| He said reducing the self-isolation period would help the with staff absenteeism. | He said reducing the self-isolation period would help the with staff absenteeism. |
| The United States recently shortened the self-isolation window to five days, and the education secretary said it was important to remember that in the UK isolation begins when you get symptoms while in the US it starts from when you test positive. | |
| Mr Zahawi told BBC One's Sunday Morning that the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) had said that there might be a higher spike if the period was cut from seven to five days but the government would keep the measure under review. | |
| Earlier this month, the UKHSA said following the US's lead in the UK would be "counterproductive". | |
| Who needs to self-isolate now and for how long? | |
| Look familiar? How rapid tests changed the pandemic | |
| Covid isolation cut from 10 days to seven with tests | |
| On the idea of stopping free lateral flow tests the education secretary said he did not recognise the report, saying the government had ordered 425 million lateral flow devices in January. | On the idea of stopping free lateral flow tests the education secretary said he did not recognise the report, saying the government had ordered 425 million lateral flow devices in January. |
| "We are not calling to an end free lateral flow tests," he said. | "We are not calling to an end free lateral flow tests," he said. |
| Opposition politicians had criticised the suggestion free tests might be stopped. | Opposition politicians had criticised the suggestion free tests might be stopped. |
| Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said such a move would be an "utterly wrongheaded" approach to dealing with coronavirus. | Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said such a move would be an "utterly wrongheaded" approach to dealing with coronavirus. |
| "Hard to imagine much that would be less helpful to trying to 'live with' Covid," Ms Sturgeon tweeted. | "Hard to imagine much that would be less helpful to trying to 'live with' Covid," Ms Sturgeon tweeted. |
| She questioned what would happen to funding for UK nations for testing if Westminster axed free tests. | She questioned what would happen to funding for UK nations for testing if Westminster axed free tests. |
| Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said ending free tests would be the wrong policy at the wrong time, adding that the best way to prevent the need for further restrictions was to ensure that people could test regularly and stop passing on the virus. | Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said ending free tests would be the wrong policy at the wrong time, adding that the best way to prevent the need for further restrictions was to ensure that people could test regularly and stop passing on the virus. |
| "That's why we believe those lateral flow tests have got to remain free whilst we have huge numbers of cases on a daily basis," she said. | |
| Rules on self-isolation for people in England infected with Covid changed last month, dropping from 10 days to seven. | Rules on self-isolation for people in England infected with Covid changed last month, dropping from 10 days to seven. |
| The government announced that people could end quarantine up to three days earlier if they test negative twice. | The government announced that people could end quarantine up to three days earlier if they test negative twice. |
| Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said his government was "not contemplating" reducing the isolation time to five days at this stage, having just made the change from 10 to seven days in Scotland. | Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said his government was "not contemplating" reducing the isolation time to five days at this stage, having just made the change from 10 to seven days in Scotland. |
| "I think it would be sensible to see the impact and the effect of that but clearly we are always guided by the science," he said. | "I think it would be sensible to see the impact and the effect of that but clearly we are always guided by the science," he said. |
| Scotland had been slower to introduce the reduction in isolation time to seven days than other UK nations as the move was "not risk free" and the government wanted to see as much data as it could, he said. | Scotland had been slower to introduce the reduction in isolation time to seven days than other UK nations as the move was "not risk free" and the government wanted to see as much data as it could, he said. |
| Mr Zahawi accepted more school staff will end up off work isolating for coronavirus as case rates rise when pupils return. | |
| He said staff absenteeism was at about 8.5% last week but "will increase, no doubt, because now schools are back we're going to see an increase in infection rates". | |
| Asked about school exams he said that "exams in January are going ahead" and "in the summer we will be going ahead with GCSEs and A-levels". | |
| But he added that there was "always contingency planning". | |
| It comes after the chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises the government on vaccines, said on Tuesday that administering vaccines for everyone every for to six months was not "affordable, sustainable or probably even needed". | It comes after the chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises the government on vaccines, said on Tuesday that administering vaccines for everyone every for to six months was not "affordable, sustainable or probably even needed". |
| The UK became the seventh country and the first in Europe to record more than 150,000 Covid deaths on Saturday. A further 146,390 cases were also recorded. | The UK became the seventh country and the first in Europe to record more than 150,000 Covid deaths on Saturday. A further 146,390 cases were also recorded. |
| Private and public sectors are feeling the effects of high case numbers, which are impacting staff levels. | Private and public sectors are feeling the effects of high case numbers, which are impacting staff levels. |
| Earlier this month, the Cabinet Office said public sector leaders were told to prepare for "worse case scenarios" of 10%, 20% and 25% staff absence rates. | Earlier this month, the Cabinet Office said public sector leaders were told to prepare for "worse case scenarios" of 10%, 20% and 25% staff absence rates. |
| Transport, the NHS and schools have already seen the effect of absences, as daily case numbers rose over the festive period. | Transport, the NHS and schools have already seen the effect of absences, as daily case numbers rose over the festive period. |
| In England, Covid-related staff absences at hospitals have risen sharply since Omicron took hold last month, with the Royal College of Nursing warning the situation was "simply not safe". | In England, Covid-related staff absences at hospitals have risen sharply since Omicron took hold last month, with the Royal College of Nursing warning the situation was "simply not safe". |
| Is your business struggling with staff shortages due to Covid isolation? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Is your business struggling with staff shortages due to Covid isolation? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
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