Greater London Sadik Khan Boris Johnson has been urged to end the self-isolation requirements for people who have been fully vaccinated, as the “epidemic” continues to paralyze the UK.
Mr. Johnson plans to relax the quarantine rules more broadly, ending the quarantine of Double Spurs and children under the age of 18 from August 16 if they prove to be negative for the coronavirus.
But there are some cross-party support for faster change. Former Conservative Health Minister Jeremy Hunt warned the government that if it does not take action now, it will face “loss of social consent” isolation.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Labor Mayor worked with industry bodies including UK Hospitality, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Capital Small Business Federation to demand change.
Due to the large number of self-isolated employees in the supply chain, some supermarkets have already experienced inventory problems (Matthew Cooper/PA)
/ Amplifier lineWith the increasing number of coronavirus cases, they warned that due to the ping signal from the NHS Covid-19 app, the shortage of staff in bars and restaurants is “intensifying” and leading to temporary closures.
They said: “Summer is vital to the recovery of many companies and should not jeopardize their ability to recover.”
“Therefore, we call on you to ensure that the necessary tests are performed so that people who have been vaccinated for more than two weeks and detected by the NHS Covid app can return to work immediately after a negative PCR test, rather than having to self-isolate .”
(Liam McBurney/PA)
/ PA fileData from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in the United Kingdom shows that Covid-19 cases continue to rise, with about 1 in 75 people in England being infected.
In the week ending July 17, the number of people who tested positive was estimated at 741,700, the highest level since the week ending January 30.
Among the emergency measures to protect supplies, it is expected that approximately 10,000 food sector workers will join the program, allowing vaccinated workers to be exempted from quarantine if they test negative. Other key economic sectors and important public service sectors are also included.
But Richard Harrow, chief executive of the British Frozen Food Federation, expressed concern that some areas of the supply chain may release more workers, but other areas such as supermarkets will not.
“This once again shows that the government does not understand the degree of linkages in the food supply chain. Only opening up the parts is unlikely to solve the overall problem. In addition, who enters and who leaves, who decides and how they decide?” He said.
“The chaos continues to spread, and I was told that there was no list before Monday. This is worse than useless.”
Richard Walker, the managing director of Iceland, said he was “deeply disappointed that supermarket employees were excluded from the list.”
To promote the new quarantine rules for key workers, the government stated that routine testing of workplaces in the food supply chain has been extended to frontline emergency services and some transportation workers.
However, due to staff self-isolation, a large number of flights were cancelled at the last minute, and railways across England are reducing timetables to improve reliability. In the week ending July 14, more than 600,000 people in England and Wales were affected by the application. Tell to isolate.
Transport for London warned this weekend that routes would be closed and cancelled, and more than 300 employees were quarantined, while Thameslink, Southern and Avanti West Coast will reduce services from Monday.
One industry that is not on the exemption list is the hotel industry. Its trade association warned the industry to “tie one hand behind us” because employees were forced to isolate themselves from the outside world during Covid-19 contacts that should be the peak season.
Kate Nichols, CEO of UKHospitality, called for a “more pragmatic solution”. He said: “We are now facing a summer of closed venues and reduced services, and at this time we should be at a seasonal peak. The department will do its best. Provide quality service, but it ties one hand behind us.
“Those who are fully vaccinated should be able to test after the ping, and if the result is negative, they can continue their lives. For those who are not fully vaccinated, two negative tests should be enough to return to work.”
The British Medical Association stated that the problem is not the “excessive ping” of the NHS Covid-19 app, but the government’s coronavirus strategy that has led to a “surge in the number of cases.”
Dr. Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of its board of directors, said that the number of people in quarantine is “the direct result of the government’s lack of effective measures to spread the virus throughout the country.”
Local government associations say that public health directors have been overwhelmed by inquiries from employers who believe their employees should be exempted.
