Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

British health chiefs urge Johnson not be to be 'gung-ho' with Covid plan

British health chiefs urge Johnson not be to be 'gung-ho' with Covid plan

ENGLISH medical leaders on Friday (18) urged Boris Johnson not to be too "gung-ho" with the nation's health when he moves to end all pandemic restrictions with his plan to live with Covid-19 next week.

Having scrapped virtually all Covid-19 restrictions in England already, Johnson on Monday (21) will set out plans to go further, indicating he wants to end the legal obligation for people who test positive to self-isolate.


The government has also drawn up plans to end free lateral flow tests by the summer, and there is speculation over the future of major pandemic surveillance studies, such as the Office for National Statistics' Infection Survey.

A survey of health leaders by the NHS Confederation found that nearly eight in 10 wanted the public to have access to free tests, while three quarters disagreed with the move to make self-isolation advisory rather than a legal requirement.

They said that Covid could disrupt attempts to catch up with non-Covid treatments if it was allowed to surge again.

"A lot is at stake for the NHS's recovery ambitions if the government is too gung-ho in its plans for exiting the pandemic, which is why health leaders are calling for a cautious and evidence-led approach," said Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation.

World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the quarantine period for people with Covid can be shortened but should be kept. While Johnson intends to scrap the legal requirement to self-isolate, advice to self-isolate would remain.

Britain only introduced the legal obligation to self-isolate in September 2020, after the first national Covid lockdown had already been relaxed, and public health guidance before Covid had rarely been put on a legal footing.

Britain has reported 160,000 deaths from Covid but a successful booster programme and Omicron's lower severity has broken the link between cases and deaths, leading Johnson to lift rules limiting social contact and restrictions on the economy.

While daily reported cases have come down since the beginning of the year, prevalence surveys indicate a slower fall and suggest changes in testing behaviour might be impacting daily figures.

An Omicron subvariant, BA.2, is also spreading in Britain. In Denmark, another highly vaccinated country, the subvariant became dominant and fuelled a further spike in cases.

Asked about the survey, security minister Damian Hinds said vaccination was helping the country to live with Covid like it does with other disease.

"We are now coming to the stage where yes, of course we must prepare to live with it," Hinds told Sky News.

(Reuters)

More For You

Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

FILE PHOTO: A mother and daughter sit atop the Covid memorial wall on September 9, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

THE Covid inquiry has started examining how the pandemic affected care services for older and disabled people, with families describing the crisis as one of the worst failures of the pandemic.

Nearly 46,000 care home residents died with Covid in England and Wales between March 2020 and January 2022, with many deaths happening in the first weeks of the outbreak.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Glastonbury condemn anti-Israel chants by Bob Vylan

Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media during a visit to RAF Valley, on Anglesey in north-west Wales, on June 27, 2025. PAUL CURRIE/Pool via REUTERS

Starmer and Glastonbury condemn anti-Israel chants by Bob Vylan

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer and Glastonbury organisers said on Sunday (29) they were appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance at the festival by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.

During their show on Saturday (28), the duo chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defense Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan floods

A flooded street near Station Road after heavy rainfall in Hyderabad, Pakistan, on June 27, 2025.

Getty

Pakistan reports 45 deaths from flash floods and rain in monsoon onset

AT LEAST 45 people have died in Pakistan over the past few days due to flash flooding and heavy rainfall since the beginning of the monsoon season, according to disaster management officials on Sunday.

The highest number of deaths was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. There, 21 people were killed, including 10 children.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK Weather Alert: June Heatwave to Hit 34°C, Breaking Records

The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record

iStock

UK set for one of the hottest June days with highs of 34°C

Key points

  • Temperatures may hit 34°C in Greater London and Bedfordshire
  • Amber alert in place across five regions due to health risks
  • Wimbledon’s opening day to be hottest on record
  • Risk of wildfires in London labelled “severe”
  • Scotland and Northern Ireland remain cooler

Hottest June day in years expected as second UK heatwave peaks

The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record, with temperatures expected to reach 34°C on Monday (30 June). The ongoing heatwave, now in its fourth day, is most intense across the South and East of England, particularly in Greater London and Bedfordshire.

Although there is a small chance of temperatures hitting 35°C, they are unlikely to surpass the all-time June record of 35.6°C set in 1976.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Probing all angles in Air India crash, including sabotage: Minister

INDIA’s junior civil aviation minister said on Sunday that all possible angles, including sabotage, were being looked into as part of the investigation into the Air India crash.

All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when it crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. Authorities have identified 19 others who died on the ground. However, a police source told AFP after the crash that the death toll on the ground was 38.

Keep ReadingShow less