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Britain’s Omicron wave continued to crash today, official data showed after England woke up to freedom this morning with nearly all emergency Covid laws ending at midnight.
Government dashboard data show there were 38,933 new positive tests over the last 24 hours, down a quarter on last week’s figure of 51,899.
The number of people dying within 28 days of a positive test also fell to 125, down 32 per cent on the 183 recorded last Thursday.
And Covid hospital admissions also fell 4.7 per cent to 1,084 on February 20, the latest date nationwide data is available for.
The sustained fall in all three measures of the pandemic came as Sajid Javid told MPs that Covid lockdown laws that restricted the freedoms of millions of Britons for two years will be consigned to history.
Self-isolation rules for the infected are now officially over, masks are no longer necessary on public transport in London and NHS hospitals are finally being told to lift visiting restrictions.
The Health Secretary also defended the Government’s introduction of the Coronavirus Act from accusations that elected MPs were unable to scrutinise controversial provisions before their introduction.
The vast majority of the Act’s remaining provisions are now due to expire on 24 March as part of a sunset clause brought in when Government rushed them through Parliament at the start of the pandemic in 2020.
Asked by MPs if a new Covid variant could prompt their resurrection Mr Javid said he could not ‘envisage’ ever having to do so due to how far Britain has come.
Boris Johnson hailed a new post-Covid era as he declared that self-isolation laws are being axed from tomorrow and free tests will go from April
MPs tell GPs face-to-face appointments are their ‘essential mission’ now Covid restrictions are axed
MPs today called on GPs to make offering more face-to-face appointments an ‘essential mission’ now all Covid restrictions have been axed.
NHS Digital data released today revealed just 60 per cent of consultations in England in January were in-person, compared to 61 per cent in December.
Only a third of appointments were face-to-face in the worst-performing areas of the country, situated in the north.
The proportion of in-person consultations is now at its lowest level since August and has been falling consistently since October, coinciding with the scaling up of Britain’s booster jab drive which heavily relied on family doctors.
It disrupted Sajid Javid’s pledge to revolutionise GP access to ensure all patients are able to see a doctor face to face, which originally included identifying surgeries that saw too few people in person.
NHS chiefs last month told GPs to ‘restore routine services’ with the worst of the pandemic clearly over, pushing them to try to pick up progress on improving face-to-face access again.
And in a call to action on England’s historic Covid ‘Freedom Day’, Tories are now urging Mr Javid gets tougher on family doctors so that they focus on getting back to pre-pandemic levels of face-to-face appointments.
In other coronavirus developments today:
MPs called on GPs to make offering more face-to-face appointments an ‘essential mission’ now all Covid restrictions have been axed; Official figures showed a million fewer women were screened for breast cancer over the first year of the pandemic;Minister hinted NHS operations could be cancelled if nurses get more than a 3 per cent pay rise;Mr Javid branded ‘Freedom Day’ — how February 24, 2022 will go down in the history books — as an ‘important’ next step in a new phase of the pandemic.
The Government data also showed another 29,782 booster vaccines were dished out yesterday, taking the UK’s total number of fully protected people to 38.1million.
Another 8,985 first doses were also dished out, taking the total number of people with a jab up to 52.6million — 91.5 per cent of the eligible over-12 population.
And 17,951 second doses were given, meaning 48.9million people are now double jabbed (85.1 per cent).
Speaking to MPs today, Mr Javid said: ‘Thankfully we have built huge and very significant defences over the past two years, the vaccinations… the treatments we have today, the testing capabilities we have today including the ability to genomic sequence.
‘It’s a completely different picture that we have today than before.’
The Health Secretary made the comments while addressing the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the Coronavirus Act ahead of its two-year anniversary.
Defending the Government’s handling of introducing the laws, with some critics had accusing No10 of steamrolling through parliamentary process, Mr Javid said ministers had to ‘act quickly’ in the early stages of the pandemic.
But he accepted that ensuring Parliament can properly debate emergency legislation may be one of the ‘lessons learned’ from the crisis.
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: ‘At times, when it’s come to announcements in Parliament, there is a view among some parliamentarians that actually it’s almost been like peeping through the keyhole or shouting through the letterbox of Number 10 rather than participating in the decision-making process of such fundamental issues.’
Health secretary Sajid Javid said he could not ever ‘envisage’ having to bring back the emergency Covid laws with the vast majority of the rules set to expire on 24 March
Dozens of commuters disembark a train at London King’s Cross railway station at rush hour this morning, as England woke up to freedom
When and where face masks should be worn
Over the last two months, Covid restrictions have gradually been phased out in most public spaces in England, as the nation adapts to ‘living with Covid’.
But do you know which places are officially free from regulations and which aren’t?
Hospitals and GP surgeries
NHS England says there are no plans to end rules for face masks in hospitals and GP surgeries.
The Government states: ‘You are required to wear a face covering on entering these healthcare settings and must keep it on until you leave unless you are exempt or have a reasonable excuse for removing it.’
Care homes
Care homes are another setting which the government insists face masks must still be worn by visitors.
Crowded places
There are no official rules for face coverings when out in public, but the Government recommends they be worn in crowded areas such as a busy shop or place of worship.
Supermarkets
There are no longer rules for wearing face coverings in supermarkets, but many big name retailers such as Tesco, Sainsburys, Lidl, Waitrose and John Lewis recommend they be used.
Transport
Rules for wearing face coverings on public transport in England officially came to an end today.
However, Mr Javid insisted that parliamentary process had not been ‘bypassed’ entirely, with many provisions of the Act either expiring early on or being scrapped as a result of scrutiny from MPs.
He gave the example of ;quite draconian’ powers to detain people with mental health issues which were never used but expired ‘very early on’ in the pandemic.
Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle questioned why ministers had legislated on some of the measures in the Act in the first place, given only 27 pandemic-related provisions out of more than 500 were used.
He said organisations including St John Ambulance had told the committee they found it ‘detrimental’ that some provisions, such as emergency volunteering leave, had not been triggered.
Mr Javid said he ‘wasn’t involved in the drafting of the Bill’ but it was ‘understandable for the time that this was put together at speed, in an emergency situation’ with limited information about the virus.
Several of the original provisions imposed under the Act have already expired.
But the Government wants to make four remaining provisions, which it says have ‘enabled innovations in the delivery of public services, permanent, Mr Javid confirmed.
It plans to seek approval from Parliament and see the laws come into force over the spring and summer.
Among them are provisions which have allowed virtual hearings to take place for court cases, and where Covid is suspected to be the cause of death, coroners in England and Wales have been able to hear an inquest without a jury.
These are due to expire within six months and will each require a final six-month extension to ‘ensure there is no gap in the legislation that enables public service delivery’.
Mr Javid confirmed the Government will seek to make some of the measures permanent in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill and the Judicial Review and Courts Bill.
The remaining 16 provisions of the Act which include measures such as the Covid statutory sick pay and employment and support allowance, are due to expire at midnight 24 March.
Mr Javid’s comments came as nearly all Covid restriction were axed this morning after nearly two years of crippling on-off lockdowns.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) statisticians estimated there were 2.1million infections on any given day in England in the week up to February 19, down 14 per cent on the 2.4million per day the week before
Boris Johnson said England was exiting the ‘grimmest years in our peacetime’ when the PM unveiled his ‘Living With Covid’ strategy on Monday, with its high vaccination rates and life-saving new drugs allowing it become the freest country in Europe.
Mr Javid urged people to remain ‘sensible’ in the next stage of the country’s battle with Covid, warning that the virus ‘is not done with us’ with new and challenging variants expected to emerge.
Since Mr Johnson told the nation to ‘stay home, protect the NHS, save lives’ in a landmark Downing Street press conference on March 23, 2020, England has been through three blanket lockdowns, months of ‘whack-a-mole’-style local restrictions and repeated school closures.
Even when draconian stay-at-home orders were lifted, face masks, routine swabbing, working from home and social distancing became the new normal.
From today, however, anyone who receives a positive Covid test will no longer be obliged to quarantine at home for five days by law — although advice to avoid others for five days remains. Routine contact tracing has also been axed, as has the £500 self-isolation payments.
Changes to statutory sick pay and employment support allowance designed to help people through the pandemic will end on March 24, when Britain embarks on another vaccine roll-out to give 8million elderly adults and over-12s with weakened immune systems a fourth jab.
NHS trusts are also being told to relax their visiting policies after it emerged some hospitals were still limiting non-Covid patients to just one visitor per day, sometimes for only half an hour.
And then in the final step in the Government’s living with Covid strategy, free universal testing will end on April 1 and will instead be prioritised for the most vulnerable. High street pharmacies will sell rapid swabs for as little as £1.89.
Mr Javid told The Times today: ‘We must never lose sight of the fact the rules and regulations we introduced were an extraordinary response to an extraordinary challenge, they were never intended to be the new normal.’
Britain’s Covid pandemic: The pivotal moments
2020
23 March – In an historic televised address, Boris Johnson announces a nationwide lockdown coming into effect on 26 March. All non-essential shops are required to close and public gatherings of more than two people are banned. Police are given new powers to enforce lockdown with fine.
26 March – The first ‘Clap for Carers’ event takes place across the UK at 18.00, applauding the NHS for their work during the pandemic.
27 March – Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock both test positive for Covid-19 as the virus rips through Westminster. Chris Whitty also starts self-isolating after suffering from Covid symptoms.
5 April – The Prime Minister is admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital in London for ‘precautionary’ tests after his symptoms persisted for 10 days. Queen Elizabeth II makes a rare televised broadcast to the UK and the wider Commonwealth, thanking people for following the government’s new Covid rules and telling the nation: ‘If we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it’.
6 April – Boris Johnson moved to intensive care after his condition dramatically worsens. First Secretary of State Dominic Raab stands in as deputy.
16 April – 99-year-old war veteran Captain Tom Moore finishes walking 100 laps of his garden, eventually raising almost £33 million for NHS Charities Together. Dominic Raab announces a three-week extension of the nationwide lockdown.
29 April – The Daily Mail’s new charity, Mail Force, flies in vital PPE worth over £1million for frontline hospital staff in dire need of equipment.
23 May – Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s chief political adviser, is revealed to have travelled 260 miles from London to Durham to self-isolate during lockdown.
26 May – In an extraordinary press conference in the Downing Street Rose Garden Dominic Cummings says he doesn’t regret his lockdown-breaking journey to Durham amid calls for him to resign.
15 June – All non-essential retail opens in the UK, and places of worship open for private worship. Face coverings become mandatory on public transport.
4 July – Pubs, restaurants, hairdressers reopen as lockdown measures continue to ease in the UK.
14 September – Social gatherings of more than six are banned as Covid cases begin to rise across the country.
22 September – In a televised address Boris Johnson warns the nation ‘the fight against Covid is by no means over’ as he unveiled new restrictions including a 10pm curfew for pubs and £200 fines for those flouting rules.
14 October – A new three-tiered system of lockdowns comes into effect in the UK, rating areas in the country medium, high or very high.
31 October – Boris Johnson announces a second national lockdown for England to prevent a ‘medical and moral disaster’, lasting from 5 November to 2 December.
9 November – The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine is reported to be 90 per cent successful in preventing COVID-19.
23 November – The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is revealed to be 70 per cent effective. Boris Johnson confirms the previous three-tier system of COVID regulations will return once lockdown finishes on 2 December.
3 December – Britain becomes the first country in the world to approve a Covid vaccine, with the Pfizer/BioNTech arriving the following week. But Boris Johnson warns the public should not get ‘carried away with over optimism’.
8 December – Margaret Keenan, 90, becomes the first person to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as the UK jab rollout begins.
14 December – Matt Hancock announces the discovery of a new variant of Covid that is spreading faster in some areas of the country.
19 December – Boris Johnson announces that London, the South East and East of England will go into new Tier 4 restrictions and Christmas bubbles will be scrapped in Tier 4 areas, effectively cancelling Christmas for millions of families.
2021
4 January – The country is plunged into a third national lockdown from 5 January, shutting all non-essential retail and schools. Brian Pinker, 82, becomes the first person to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID vaccine.
2 February – Captain Sir Tom Moore dies aged 100 after testing positive for COVID-19. A study, suggests that a single dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine could lead to a ‘substantial’ fall in the spread of COVID, and is 76% effective in the 12 weeks before the second dose is given.
22 February – Boris Johnson reveals his roadmap out of the third national lockdown in England, with schools opening on 8 March and non-essential retail and outdoor hospitality opening from 12 April.
8 March – Step one of the unlocking sees schools allowed to reopen and people allowed to meet one other person outside once a day. The stay at home order remains in place.
29 March – The second part of step one allows people to leave their homes when they wish but they are advised to ‘stay local’. Up to two people can meet indoors and up to six outdoors, including in private gardens. Open air sports facilities can reopen.
12 April – Non-essential shops are reopened and restaurants and pubs are allowed to offer outdoor service as part of step two of the unlocking. Many other outdoor venues also reopen, including zoos and theme parks. Self-contained holidays are permitted.
17 May – Step three of unlocking takes place. Social mixing rules are expanded to allow the rule of six indoors and up to 30 people to meet outdoors. Indoor venues can reopen, including cinemas, restaurants and pubs. Outdoor stadiums can seat up to 10,000 spectators.
14 June – Boris delays ‘freedom day’ by more than a month after a surge in cases of the Delta variant. The new date for the final unlocking is scheduled for July 19, which the PM says will buy the country time to vaccinate more people.
19 July – The final part of the roadmap out of lockdown sees most legal limits on social contact lifted, including the rule of six. Nightclubs are also able to open their doors for the first time in months. People are asked to ‘gradually’ to return to their desks as the WFH advice is softened. The ‘one metre plus’ rule on social distancing is lifted except in specific circumstances such as at the border and legal requirements to wear face coverings are ditched.
4 November – UK becomes first country to approve an antiviral that can slash the risk of severe Covid. Nearly half a million doses of molnupiravir, a pill that can be taken twice daily at home, are due for delivery from mid-November.
16 November – NHS begins Covid booster vaccine rollout campaign after approval from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Data shows protection from two doses starts to wane after six months. Elderly care-home residents are offered jabs first, moving down through the age cohorts to over-50s. Frontline health and social care workers and younger adults with underlying health conditions are also included in the rollout.
23 November: UK scientist sounds the alarm about ‘horrific’ new variant with 32 mutations on its spike protein – which is later named Omicron. The strain causes an explosion of cases in South Africa where it was first detected.
27 November – The first two cases of Omicron are announced in the UK as ministers impose a ban on swathes of southern Africa in an attempt to limit the importation of cases.
30 November – The booster vaccine rollout is expanded to all adults aged 18 and over to tackle Omicron.
8 December – Boris moves England to ‘plan B’ restrictions for winter as the Omicron variant is projected to send case rates to astronomical levels. Face masks become mandatory in most public indoor venues and NHS Covid Passes must be used to gain access to specific settings. People are asked to work from home when possible.
2022
January 27 – The Omicron wave begins to settle a tidal wave of infections sent daily cases to more than 200,000 per day. Hospital pressure does not reach levels projected by expert advisers, with the booster rollout credited. England moves to ‘plan A’ which sees face coverings and NHS Covid passes scrapped.
February 24 – The Government’s ‘Living with Covid’ is enacted, with all remaining restrictions ending. People who catch the virus no longer have to self-isolate, although they will still be advised to avoid others for five days.
