PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Coronavirus: Quarantine (3 March 2022)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of removing the requirement for self-isolation for people with a positive covid-19 diagnosis on the health of people with long-term conditions at a high risk from covid-19.

Asked by:
Karin Smyth (Labour)

In line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Department must consider the impact of policy decisions on protected groups when changes to legislation are made. In the case of the self-isolation regulations, this was done alongside public health considerations ahead of the decision to remove these regulations.

As of 24 February 2022, those who test positive for COVID-19 are no longer legally required to self-isolate. However, individuals with any of the main symptoms or a positive test result are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people.

The Government’s objective is to enable COVID-19 to be managed in a similar way to other respiratory illnesses, while minimising mortality and retaining the ability to respond if a new and more dangerous variant emerges. This is due to the success of the vaccination programme and pharmaceutical tools available to treat people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19.

Answered by:
Maggie Throup (Conservative)
10 March 2022