Boris Johnson faces growing pressure to slash Covid self-isolation

Boris Johnson faces growing pressure to slash Covid self-isolation to five days after Greece follows the lead of the US by making the move amid fears the UK’s critical services could suffer major disruption due to staff absences

  • Greece followed the lead of the US in cutting self-isolation period to five days
  • Boris Johnson is facing calls from MPs and business leaders to follow suit
  • Fears isolation rules and surging case numbers could disrupt key UK services 

Boris Johnson is facing growing pressure to slash the coronavirus self-isolation period to five days after Greece followed the lead of the US in making the move. 

The quarantine period for people in England who have tested positive for Covid-19 was reduced from 10 days to seven just before Christmas. 

But business leaders and MPs are calling for the Prime Minister to go even further amid fears surging case numbers and the seven day rule could disrupt critical infrastructure because of spiking staff absences. 

Late on Monday, American health officials announced they would cut their isolation time for positive cases to just five days – provided people are showing no symptoms. 

Greece has now adopted a similar stance. Updated Foreign Office travel advice relating to Greece states: ‘If you test positive for COVID-19 while in Greece you must self-isolate for 5 days from the date of the positive test result. 

Boris Johnson is facing growing pressure to slash the coronavirus self-isolation period to five days after Greece followed the lead of the US in making the move

Updated Foreign Office travel advice relating to Greece states: ‘If you test positive for COVID-19 while in Greece you must self-isolate for 5 days from the date of the positive test result.’ Athens Academy in central Athens is pictured on December 30

‘You may leave self-isolation after 5 days if you are no longer experiencing symptoms, otherwise you should continue to self-isolate.’ 

A senior Greek government official told Politico: ‘This is expected to also help ease possible pressure on the public services in the coming days, due to the higher number of infections.’

Mr Johnson and his ministers are currently resisting the clamour to reduce the quarantine time further.

The UK Government has said there are ‘no further changes’ planned on reducing self-isolation but the rules will be kept ‘under review’. 

New data published today by NHS England showed the number of NHS hospital staff absent due to Covid-19 has nearly doubled since the start of the month. 

Some 24,632 staff at NHS hospital trusts were ill with coronavirus or having to self-isolate on Boxing Day, up 31 per cent from 18,829 a week earlier and nearly double the 12,508 at the start of the month.

 The quarantine period for people in England who have tested positive for Covid-19 was reduced from 10 days to seven just before Christmas. Lateral flow tests are pictured being handed out in Walthamstow, north London on December 30

Meanwhile, Office for National Statistics estimates today suggested that 2.3million people in England had Covid-19 in the week ending December 23, up from 1.4million in the week to December 16.  

It is the highest infection level number published by the ONS since it started the data series in Autumn 2020. 

The surging number of coronavirus cases is fuelling fears that key services could soon start to creak as infected workers are forced to stay at home for seven days.  

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