MAJOR Covid rule changes are coming today for Brits in a major boost for struggling business.
People in England who test positive for the virus can now leave isolation after five full days after daily cases more than halved in a fortnight.
The rule change was confirmed by the Health Secretary last week – after experts had called for isolation to be slashed while the NHS struggles with mass staff absences.
Fresh research suggested slashing isolation to five days would only result in an extra two in 100 people leaving quarantine while still infectious.
Key UK Health Security Agency modelling probed the risk of a positive case spreading the virus after two negative lateral flow tests.
It found eight per cent would still be infectious on day five, compared to 6.2 per cent on day seven – which led ministers to change their minds.
It follows a string of hugely positive studies which showed that Omicron is milder than other strains in the vaccinated, with the first official UK report revealing the risk of hospitalisation is 50 to 70 per cent lower than with Delta.
Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.
Trending In The News’s Jabs Army campaign is helping get the vital extra vaccines in Brits’ arms to ward off the need for any new restrictions.
It comes after the latest figures revealed a total of 81,713 fresh infections in the latest 24-hour period, compared to a staggering 179,637 two weeks ago.
A further 287 virus deaths were also recorded yesterday – down on last week’s 313.
January 15 was the second consecutive day that infections dropped below 100,000 after weeks of record breaking figures.
Cases dipped to 99,652 on January 14 before falling further yesterday in a promising sign the country is moving past the Omicron peak.
And in further positive news, coronavirus cases are now falling in every region in England as the crucial R rate has stabilised, new data has revealed.
The last time figures were below 100,000 before January 14 was December 21, which saw 90,629 cases.
What is changing?
From today isolation rules are different, going down to five full days.
But a confusing detail in the new rules means anyone isolating will actually have to do so for six, not five, days.
This is because the first full day of isolation is NOT the day you test positive or noticed symptoms – although you must still isolate following either of these events.
That day is now known as “day zero”, with the next day counting as day one, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed.
Covid patients must then test negative on lateral flow tests on day five and six in order to be released from isolation.
An example timeline is as follows:
Monday = Day 0 (when you develop symptoms or get a positive test)
Tuesday = Day 1
Wednesday = Day 2
Thursday = Day 3
Friday = Day 4
Saturday = Day 5 – first lateral flow test
Sunday = Day 6 – second lateral flow test and if both are negative you can leave isolation
