Boris Johnson’s announcement that all Covid regulations in England will be scrapped by the end of February has left some people delighted to return to normality, and others concerned that the move is “a bit premature”.
Speaking to the Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said the move would mean the legal requirement to self-isolate will be dropped by the end of the month, even for people who test positive for Covid.
i spoke to a handful of people in London’s Kensington Gardens to see how members of the public feel about the Prime Minister’s plans to “live with the virus”, and whether they would still choose to self-isolate.
‘I want to go back to normal life’
Maria Pembroke, 70, was born in Portugal but she has lived in London for the past 40 years. She said she feels “great” about the announcement and she is looking forward to returning to normality.
“People are fed up; I’m fed up of all this,” she told i.
“In this second year, things have been actually worse than the first.
“I have all the vaccinations and I want to go back to normal life. That’s my opinion, the opinion of my husband, and everyone else.”
She said it may take up to a year for many people to “get used to being normal again” as we have been under intermittent coronavirus restrictions for almost two years now.
When asked whether she would go out if she tested positive when the restrictions are lifted, she said: “I think if I have vaccinations, I’m entitled to go out, if I feel OK. I’ll use a mask, but I think I should go out.”
Mark Myers, 56, a taxi driver from London, said: “It’s great. Get everyone back to work. The more people are back, the busier it’s going to be in all the shops and pubs.
He said he would not isolate if there were no regulations. “I’d carry on working if it’s only a little flu, like what they’re saying you’re getting.”
“Look at everyone around here,” he said, pointing to people strolling around Kensington Gardens, “no one cares no more, do they”.
“Everyone wants to get back to work and get back to normal,” he added.
Mark Myers, 56, a taxi driver from London
Mark, 50, from London, who works in property management, said: “I’m looking forward to it, generally. I’m hoping everything’s gradually returning back to normal. So I’m not against all the restrictions being dropped.
“I think I would carry on cautiously with my life. I would not isolate, I would go to work, but I would exercise due caution like I would have done previously with a cold.”
If he had Covid, he would wear a mask in the office, he said.
It seems ‘a bit premature’
Neil Thompson, 63, is British but lives in Belgium. He was visiting his son in Kensington but had to extend his stay as he contracted Covid and has only just come out of isolation.
He told i: “Although the measures are inconvenient, of course, I can see the purpose of them. I’ve only just started testing negative again so the 10 days are unnecessary for me.”
He said it seems “a bit premature” to be stopping all the Covid regulations, as he feels that the Government is “putting the economy in front of the health situation”.
He added: “I know that there are other considerations. Omicron is less dangerous than other variants, most people are now vaccinated and the pressure in hospitals is less.
“Nevertheless, there’s a feeling that policy has been made without all the factors being taken into account, or without the possibility of justifying why on that particular date, that particular measure is going to be taken.”
If he tested positive he would still isolate, adding that it is “really unclear” how long he would quarantine for.
Mr Thompson was on a walk with his son, Tristan, 23, who lives in Kensington. He told i that he doubts that lifting the restrictions will “really change that much” as he knows people who have already decided not to isolate if they test positive.
However, he said he would isolate if he tested positive “just as a matter of just my conscience” as he does not want to pass it on to others and put them at risk.
Chloe Thomson, 28, is a civil servant from Fife, Scotland, who is visiting London for the weekend with a friend. She said the rules are yet to be lifted in Scotland and suggested it is too early to end all restrictions in England.
She said: “I think it’s maybe a little bit too soon to stop testing. I think that’s maybe a bit of an issue going forward. I think if there were still testing happening people might feel a little bit safer still.
“I can understand people want to get back to their lives. I definitely want to get back to doing things and going out. But I think at the risk of everyone’s safety, it’s maybe worth just hanging off.
When asked what she would do if she tested positive, she said: “My first thought would be to protect my family and friends and colleagues so I would definitely take time off.
“Take yourself away get yourself better and then go back to your normal.”
Chloe Thomson, 28, is a civil servant from Fife, Scotland
Sergio, 52, who was born in Spain but lives in London, said it is important to listen to what the “health experts consider is appropriate”.
He told i that there should be “a certain degree of control” to prevent people who test positive to be out in the community. “I’m not an expert in health or Covid but it doesn’t look right to me,” he added.
‘I’m OK with the restrictions ending’
Sue Davis, 70, and Rosaline Hayward, 68, are both retired and were going for an afternoon stroll together in Kensington Gardens
“I’m OK with the restrictions ending, but I still would prefer if facemask were still used,” Mrs Davis said.
Mrs Hayward added that she “certainly” thinks masks should still be worn on buses, on the underground and in supermarkets. However, she said she’d “definitely isolate” if she caught Covid-19 as she “wouldn’t want to pass it on to anyone else”.
“I think it’s very selfish if you know that you’re positive and you go out into the community,” Mrs Davis said.
Sue Davis, 70, and Rosaline Hayward, 68, are both retired
Sabine Dittrich, 47, who lives in London, told i that she would still wear a mask if all the restrictions were lifted, and “probably will do that for a little bit longer”.
She said: “I come from Germany and in Europe, the rules have been much stricter for a long time. To some degree, I think that’s sensible. But I’m glad, at the same time, that the restrictions are further lifted.
“I think it seems to be, with Omicron not being so severe, that it’s a nice thing to look forward to actually.”
When asked if she would isolate if she tested positive, she said: “I probably wouldn’t isolate in, in a very strict sense, but I think I would still stay at home. If I need to buy food and walk the dog, I would probably wear a mask.
“Because there are more vulnerable people. So if my parents were here, I would want other people to do that.”
Sabine Dittrich, 47, is from Germany and lives in London
Nicola Baravalle, 26, musician, living in London, said: “I feel pretty apathetic about it. I feel like it’s been back and forth for a while now.”
Asked whether he would isolate if he tested positive and there were no restrictions, he said: “Stay home, obviously, because I’m sick and it’s contagious. I wouldn’t want to spread it around. It’s common sense.”
Nicola Baravalle, 26, musician, living in London
Diana and Alan are a Romanian couple who have lived in west London for five years and own a restaurant. When asked how they feel about the lifting of the last restrictions, Diana, 30, said: “We are very happy with that, it’s better now.”
But she added that they would both “isolate anyway to protect other people”, even when there are no restrictions.
Bridie Gettings, 67, who is retired, from Mitcham, said: “I think it’s brilliant. But I think people would still probably wear the masks in enclosed spaces and on the underground and so forth.
“But it’s good, isn’t it, that it’s all coming to an end for us here in England anyway.
If she tested positive, she told i she would still isolate for about a week “just to protect other people, I suppose, to not pass it on”.
https://inews.co.uk/news/carry-on-working-covid-everyone-wants-get-back-normal-public-on-plans-to-axe-isolation-1451387
