Covid isolation period could be increased to 10 days

Isolation period for people with Covid symptoms will be increased to 10 days

People with Covid symptoms will have to isolate for 10 days, three days more than the current rules. After Boris Johnson was said to be “extremely concerned” about the second wave of Covid hitting Britain very soon, the Government is looking to increase the isolation period from seven to ten days for those with symptoms.

Coronavirus isolation period will be increased

The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has confirmed to be concerned about the second surge of coronavirus that is “starting to roll across Europe”. He told Sky News: “I think you can see a second wave starting to roll across Europe and we’ve got to do everything we can to prevent it from reaching these shores and to tackle it”.

“The measures that the chief medical officer will set out later are part of that but so too are the measures we’re taking, for instance, to ensure that we don’t directly bring cases back to this country where there’s a big spike in cases”. “So absolutely on a second wave it is something I worry about and I worry about it because we can see it happening”.

The health secretary confirmed the work of the Government on new policies to reduce the risk but also to ease the rules when it is safe to do so. He affirmed ministers were trying to reduce the quarantine period for people travelling back from Spain and other high-risk countries when there is no reason to worry. The Chief Medical Officer will be giving further announcements later today. In the meantime, Hancock is telling the media Government is seriously concerned about the threat of a second wave and therefore they need to take action immediately. He confirmed:

“If that means increasing the number of days that people who test positive have to self-isolate then so be it because these measures are necessary to keep people safe”.