UK’s confirmed Covid-19 patients, their contacts and returning travellers get isolation period shortened to 10 days

Britain has announced that it will allow people to shorten their Covid-19 quarantine from 14 days to 10, after a review of the evidence suggests it is safe to do so.

The relaxed measures on Covid-19 isolation will come into force on Monday, meaning people who have tested positive for the virus, individuals in contact with positive people and those returning from countries that are not on the travel corridor list can reduce their isolation period to 10 days. 

In a statement released on Friday, the four UK chief medical officers (CMOs) said: “After reviewing the evidence, we are now confident that we can reduce the number of days that contacts self-isolate from 14 days to 10.” 

The CMOs reiterated the importance of self-isolation in tackling Covid-19 and reducing the spread. 

“People who test positive should continue to self-isolate for 10 days from onset of symptoms or 10 days from point of taking a positive test if asymptomatic. We urge everyone to self-isolate when appropriate. It will save lives,” the statement reads. 

One study, published in September, suggested that fewer than 20 percent of people had fully complied with self-isolation. 

The UK government announced in November that its coronavirus travel rules would change on December 15, with travellers having to isolate for only five days if they test negative on day five of their post-travel isolation. 

Britain has been one of the places hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, registering more than 63,000 deaths to date.

PM Boris Johnson’s government embarked on a mass vaccination programme on Tuesday, following the approval of US firm Pfizer’s jab.

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