The Times - UK (2022-02-21)

6 2GM Monday February 21 2022 | the times

News

Rules around the world

AUSTRALIA

Masks New South Wales

will end the compulsory

wearing of masks from the

end of this week. Victoria is

expected to follow suit.

Socialising Singing and

dancing are now permitted

as restrictions are eased in

New South Wales. QR code

check-ins are being

scrapped for venues other

than nightclubs and music

festivals in the state and in

neighbouring Victoria.

Testing Lateral flow tests

are free only for close

contacts and those with

Covid symptoms.

Travel Australia has

reopened its international

borders to all travellers

from today after two years

of strict controls. The

quarantine period for

unvaccinated travellers has

been halved to seven days.

FRANCE

Masks Remain mandatory

in enclosed public spaces.

Socialising Customers must

show proof of vaccination

at restaurants and bars and

on long-distance trains.

Testing France scrapped

free testing for citizens who

do not have a medical

prescription in mid-October.

It charges €22 to €44 for

tests.

Travel Fully vaccinated

travellers from the UK and

many other countries no

longer have to show proof

of a negative Covid test.

GERMANY

Masks Germans must wear

FFP2-standard masks in

indoor spaces, including

public transport.

Socialising From March 4

vaccinated people and

those who have had Covid

no longer will need to show

a recent negative test to

enter restaurants and bars.

Most restrictions on the size

of gatherings and working

from home measures are to

be lifted on March 20.

Testing Free tests were

scrapped from October 11

but returned a month later

as cases rose.

Travel Britain has been

removed from a high-risk list

and anyone fully vaccinated

can enter for any reason.

UNITED STAT E S

Masks Federal rules to

wear masks on aircraft,

trains, buses and at

airports extends to

March 18.

Socialising Many venues

require proof of

vaccination or a recent

negative Covid test to enter,

although rules vary

between states.

Testing Private health

insurers are required to pay

for up to eight lateral flow

tests and the Biden

administration has pledged

to buy a billion free tests for

those without insurance.

Travel Vaccinated travellers

can enter, although a

negative Covid test taken

before departure is needed.

Boris Johnson urged the nation to “get
back to work” on the eve of his
announcement lifting all remaining
coronavirus rules.
He said that now was the time to shift
the balance from “state mandation” to
personal responsibility, with the legal
requirement for self-isolation expected
to end in England by the end of the
week. People should “feel confident
again” thanks to the success of Britain’s
vaccine rollout and should return to the
office to help the country with “getting
back on its feet”.
He insisted that the ending of restric-
tions was not a green light to “totally
throw caution to the winds” because
Covid “remains a dangerous disease”.
The unvaccinated and clinically vul-
nerable were particularly at risk from
the decision to end self-isolation rules,
he acknowledged, in a sign that the
legal requirement will be replaced with
guidance that will urge those testing
positive to adopt caution when inter-
acting with certain groups of people.
Measures such as free coronavirus
tests are likely to be removed in stages
within weeks. But people aged 80 and
above and patients and staff in hospitals
and other high-risk settings such as
care homes are to continue to get free
tests, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Taxpayers were at present spending
£2 billion a month on testing, Johnson
said. He insisted that the government
would retain testing capability to “snap
back up as fast as we need to” if there
were a resurgence of the virus.
Two sets of regulations are due to be
scrapped this week. The first will end
the legal duty of self-isolation for those
who test positive and their close con-
tacts. The second will mean that local
authorities will be required to manage
outbreaks through planning and exist-
ing public health powers rather than
blanket lockdown rules.
The cabinet will reach a final decision
on ending restrictions today before the
prime minister makes an announce-
ment in the House of Commons. The
changes will apply only to England, but
Scotland and Wales are likely to follow
next month. Northern Ireland scrapped
all remaining Covid measures last week.
The prime minister said that thanks
to the vaccination campaign, Britain
was in a “different world” and could
begin to live with the coronavirus with-
out any legal requirements.
Nearly 53 million people, or 77 per
cent of the UK population, 91 per cent
of those aged over 12, have had one vac-
cine dose, and nearly 49 million have
had a second jab. Ministers have also
pointed to new treatments, including
antiviral drugs that reduce the risk of
severe disease or death from Covid-19,
to justify the ending of restrictions.
Johnson told the BBC’s Sunday Morn-
ing show: “We’ve reached a stage where
we think you can shift the balance away
from state mandation, away from ban-
ning certain courses of action, compel-
ling certain courses of action, in favour
of encouraging personal responsibility.
“I think it is important that people
should feel confident again and that
people should feel able to go back to
work in the normal way.”
He added: “I don’t want people to get
completely the wrong idea, I’m not
saying you can totally throw caution to
the winds. Covid remains dangerous if
you’re vulnerable.”
The government has made a reasonable
judgment, leading article, page 29

News Coronavirus

Throughout the pandemic the Queen

has made clear that, as far as possible,

she should be treated like anyone else.

Faced with a virus that does not

discriminate, it is perhaps no great

surprise, therefore, that Covid-

finally found her.

“The Queen is no different to many

other people,” one source said. “There

have been lots of procedures in place,

but I don’t think we can be surprised

that, nearly two years in, Her Majesty

has been hit by it.”

Buckingham Palace announced

yesterday that the Queen was exper-

iencing mild symptoms and would

continue to carry out some duties

despite falling ill.

A statement read: “Buckingham

Palace confirm that the Queen has

today tested positive for Covid.

“Her Majesty is experiencing mild

cold-like symptoms but expects to

The key dates

The incubation period for

coronavirus may be as long as

14 days. The Queen has looked

less vigorous as February has

worn on. The Prince of Wales

tested positive for coronavirus

after visiting Windsor Castle,

where she is staying.

February 2: A radiant Queen

smiled for a portrait photograph

in an armchair at Sandringham

House to mark the start of her

Platinum Jubilee year.

February 5: Holding a walking

stick and handbag, the Queen

cut a jubilee cake during a

reception at Sandringham

House.

February 6: Accession Day, the

anniversary of the death of her

father George VI. The Queen

spent the day at Sandringham,

where the king died in 1952.

February 7: The Queen was

taken by helicopter from

Sandingham to Windsor Castle.

February 8. The Prince of Wales

visited Windsor Castle, where he

held an investiture on behalf of

the Queen.

February 9: Boris Johnson had

an audience with the Queen. The

Princess Royal visited Windsor

Castle for investitures in the

morning and afternoon.

February 10: Prince

Charles tested

positive for

Covid.

No time

Charlotte Wace

tested

for

London, can impose their own rules, so

masks are required on the Underground.

Masks are also required in healthcare

settings and care homes.

What about travelling abroad?

Restrictions have largely been dropped

already with vaccinated passengers no

longer required to do a test on arrival

in the UK. They must still complete a

passenger locator form. Unvaccinated

travellers must take tests before and

after arrival but are no longer required

to enter quarantine.

All this is happening in England —

what about the other UK nations?

All remaining measures in Northern

Ireland, including mandatory masks

and a 30-person limit on gatherings in

private homes, ceased to be legally

binding on February 15. In Scotland

masks are still required in most indoor

public spaces. They must be worn in

schools by people aged 12 or older but

the requirement for pupils to wear

them in class will be dropped at the end

of the month. Rules are being eased in

Wales but masks are still compulsory in

shops, schools and on public transport.

Q&A

What is happening?

Boris Johnson has previously said that

all remaining coronavirus restrictions

in England are likely to come to an end

this month and the cabinet will meet

today to agree a plan for “living with

Covid-19”. With about 85 per cent

of people over 12 fully vaccinated and

new antibody and antiviral treatments

available, the government believes the

country has reached the end of the

emergency pandemic phase and now

needs to fully return to normal life.

Will free testing end?

Johnson has indicated that the

£2 billion-a-month cost of free lateral

flow and PCR tests is not sustainable

and changes to testing policy are likely

to be made within the next few weeks

under a staggered approach. Many

European nations have already ended

free lateral flow tests for people who

are not symptomatic or close contacts

of someone who has the virus and the

government could decide to follow suit.

Will this apply to everyone?

It is expected that key workers such

as healthcare staff and lorry drivers will

still be able to access free testing.

What about isolation rules?

The legal requirement to self-isolate for

up to ten days after testing positive is

set to be dropped this week. This legal

duty was first introduced in September

2020 with fines of up to £10,000 for

repeat offenders. Government guidance

will still urge people to act responsibly

and encourage those who have tested

positive — or at least those who are

showing symptoms — to isolate.

Will there still be financial support?

This is likely to be the subject of debate

this week, with trade unions warning

that a decision to scrap the £500 Test

and Trace Support Payment would

mean that less well-off people would

ignore isolation guidance because

they cannot afford to miss paid work.

Any changes on masks?

There is no longer a legal requirement

to wear masks although individual

operators, such as Transport for

Get back to work but do it

cautiously, PM tells nation

How many have died?

Yesterday there were 74 deaths reported,

bringing the total number of deaths in the

past seven days to 1,011. The rolling

average number of daily deaths is 144.4,

down from 179 a day a week ago

The national picture

How many are in hospital?

There are 11,555 patients in hospital being

treated. 331 patients are on ventilators. An

additional 1,280 patients have been

admitted, down 13.4 per cent in seven days

to Feb 14 when this data was last updated

How many people have Covid-19?

There were 25,696 new cases reported

yesterday, bringing the cumulative total to

18,605,752 or 278.5 for every 1,000 people

25.5% decrease from seven days ago

(based on seven-day moving average)

Deaths

Oct Jan

2021

Apr Jul Oct Jan

2022

0

500

1,

Seven- 1,

day

average

Daily cases

Oct Jan

2021

Apr Jul Oct Jan

2022

0

50,

100,

150,

200,

Seven-day

average

National

R number

0.8 to 1.

How does 2021 compare?

There were 11,862 deaths from all causes

recorded in England and Wales in the

week to February 4, of which the

coronavirus accounted for 10.5 per cent.

The number of weekly deaths was 1,

lower than the five-year average for the

same time of year

0

5,

10,

15,

20,

2020/

Jul Oct JanApr Jul OctJan 2022

Five-year average

Hospital admissions

Oct Jan

2021

Apr Jul Oct Jan

2022

0

1,

2,

3,

Seven- 4,

day

average

Matt Dathan Home Affairs Editor

Figures as of 6pm yesterday. Source: Our World in Data

(latest figures available) and gov.uk. Note: Selected countries.

Daily

(Feb 19)

First dose

9,

Boosters

(Feb 19)

24,

Second

48.9m

Second

18,

Total

38m

First dose

52.6m

People

vaccinated

in UK

UAE 99% (24m)

Portugal 94.8% (22.6m)

Spain 87.8% (92.1m)

Australia 85.2% (53.2m)

Canada 85.4% (80.3m)

Italy 83.8% (133.1m)

France 80% (140m)

Sweden 76.8% (20.3m)

US 76.1% (549.9m)

UK 77.3% (139.4m)

How Britain compares

Percentage of population who have

received at least one vaccine dose

(total doses administered in brackets)

Malta 90.8% (1.2m)

Germany 75.5% (168.9m)