Covid: Will Scotland follow England in scrapping all restrictions, including self isolation rules?

All remaining Covid restrictions in England could be scrapped within a matter of weeks, with Boris Johnson set to confirm an end to the legal requirement to self-isolate if a person has Covid when the UK Parliament returns from recess on February 21.

This would make England one of the first nations to remove this legal requirement, as Mr Johnson continues to forge a more relaxed approach to the virus than most other leaders.

But while the move is more dramatic than measures elsewhere, it comes amid a wave of general easing of restrictions taking place across Europe and beyond.

With the legal requirement to isolate replaced by guidance, England will join Sweden in its hands-off approach.

Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images

The Scandinavian country has been an outlier throughout the pandemic, relying largely on individual behaviour rather than law.

Sweden has also announced an end to free testing for all but the most vulnerable and health care workers.

This is a move predicted in England, with some warning in January that free lateral flow tests would be scrapped before the summer.

For now, there are no plans for Scotland to follow England in removing the requirement to self-isolate.

While Mr Johnson aims to scrap emergency Covid powers a month earlier than their expiry date in March, the Scottish Government plans to extend several of these for a further six months, until September 24.

The Scottish Government has continued to take a more cautious approach than the UK Government throughout the pandemic, and there are currently still several more measures in place in Scotland, including the requirement to wear face coverings indoors and the Covid certification scheme.

Ministers have criticised Mr Johnson’s move, with health secretary Humza Yousaf calling it an attempt to distract from the ongoing scandal around parties held at Downing Street during lockdown.

While restrictions may be eased in Scotland before long, Mr Yousaf said this decision would be made in a “thoughtful” way.

A new strategic framework for navigating the future of the pandemic is set to be published after the February recess.

This is likely to include a more relaxed approach, but unlikely to do away with all measures completely.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.