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The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the world, with generations having never experienced an event like it in their lifetimes. While the UK and other countries issued a swift lockdown in March to try and tackle the caseload, easing of restrictions over the summer means cases have gone up again. In response, the UK Government issued a month-long lockdown, which began on November 5, and is due to end on December 2. However, Government officials, including Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, have suggested the shutdown will be extended if the desired result isn’t achieved in December.
How long do you have to self isolate for?
As it stands, the coronavirus self isolation period is 14 days, or two weeks.
But that period is expected to be cut down to ten days after a reported disagreement between England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and the Prime Minister’s top aide, Dominic Cummings.
The reduced quarantine time will be made possible through the increased use of quick tests, which the Government has forked out more than £500million for.
However, the downfall of the tests is that some are not designed to successfully detect people who are displaying symptoms.
Under the new proposal, Brits are expected to be allowed to stop quarantining on the tenth day after contact with someone carrying the virus, following a negative test result.
If they test positive on the tenth day they will be asked to continue self-isolating for another eight days.
The new scheme is hoped to help compliance after research from Kings College London revealed only 11 percent of people abide by the two-week isolation rule.
This planned change is understood to be a compromise within Government between Professor Whitty and Mr Cummings.
According to one source, Mr Cummings tried to implement a more dramatic cut in the quarantine period which was flat-out rejected by Mr Whitty.
Downing Street did not deny the claims of the intended self-isolation cut.
According to the source, Professor Whitty discovered a press release had been drafted that told of using the rapid tests to halve the isolation period, with the eventual aim of getting rid of it all together.
The Professor is said to have been opposed to the changes on the grounds of public health, arguing the incubation period of Covid-19 is far too long to enable immediate testing as a viable alternative to self-isolation.
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Mr Whitty also argued the rapid testing would fail to detect every infected individual it encountered.
The source said the proposal to test after eight days instead, with the option of leaving the house on the tenth, was “cooked up” as a compromise to Mr Cummings’ plan.
Government sources dismissed rumours of a row between the two men as “nonsense” and said a review into the quarantine period would be released in “due course”.
A Number 10 spokesperson said: “Self isolation is a vital tool in our fight to suppress the virus, so work is ongoing on options to increase the number of people doing so, including reviewing the self isolation time period.”
Although the rapid tests may not be effective in detecting everyone infected, they have been welcomed by ministers who have said they could spell an end to quarantine for travellers.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the Airport Operators Association that the development should encourage more people to fly.
He said: “I want you to know that we’ve been making very good progress on a test-to-release programme to launch once we’re out of lockdown.
“This will consist of a single test for arrivals into the UK, provided by the private sector and at the cost of the passenger, allowing a much reduced period of self isolation.”
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