Under-18s will also be able to skip quarantining
From Monday under-18s and the fully-vaccinated will no longer legally be required to self-isolate, the Government has confirmed.
Instead, they will be advised to take a PCR test as soon as they have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
But the fully vaccinated will only be able to skip self-isolation if they had their second covid jab 14 days before they had contact with someone with covid.
On Wednesday night Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the government was changing the rules because ‘getting two doses of a vaccine has tipped the odds in our favour and allowed us to safely reclaim our lost freedoms.
He said: “Asking the close contacts of people with COVID-19 to self-isolate has played a critical role in helping us get this virus under control, and millions of people across the UK have made enormous sacrifices by doing this.
“Every single one of these sacrifices has helped us protect the NHS and save lives.
“Getting two doses of a vaccine has tipped the odds in our favour and allowed us to safely reclaim our lost freedoms, and from Monday we can take another huge step back towards our normal lives by removing self-isolation requirements for double jabbed people who are contacts of people with COVID-19.”
Three quarters of adults in the UK have now received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, something hailed by Boris Johnson as a huge national achievement’.
A total of 86,780,455 doses have been administered in the UK, with 47,091,889 people receiving a first dose (89%) and 39,688,566 people receiving both doses (75%).
School self-isolation rules in England
Pupils returning to school and college next month will be able to avoid self-isolation as they fall into the under-18s category.
Ministers are said to be keen to avoid further disruption to schooling.
School bubbles have been scrapped for pupils in England and children are no longer required to wear face coverings in class.
Social distancing has also been scrapped for pupils along with staggered start and finish times.
The Government will review testing requirements at the end of September.
Currently, secondary school pupils will need to take two onsite tests and two at home.
Health and care workers
Double vaccinated health and social care staff who are contacted by test and trace will be able to return to work as long as they have a negative PCR test.
They will still need to take daily lateral flow tests for 10 days.