Living with Covid plan removes legal restrictions from 24 February

On Monday 21 February the Government announced its "Living with Covid-19" plan that places personal responsibility on individuals to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. 

All Covid legal restrictions will end in England on Thursday 24 February and free testing will stop from Friday 1 April.

But people with Covid are still advised to remain at home for at least five days and avoid contact with others if they can. 

Until Thursday 24 February, if you test positive for Covid you must still self isolate.

Final guidance is being updated by the government and will be available at gov.uk as it is announced. 

From 21 February 

Staff and students in most education and childcare settings no longer need to test twice a week.

From Thursday 24 February 

People who test positive for Covid will no longer be legally required to self isolate. But you are advised to stay at home for at least five days.

Where someone under 18 years tests positive, their parents or guardians will no longer have a legal responsibility to ensure they self-isolate. As with adults, children who test positive are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with others.

There will be specific guidance for staff in particularly vulnerable services such as adult social care and healthcare. Arrangements for NHS staff will be confirmed in March.

If you come into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid, you will not have to take daily tests or be legally required to self-isolate.

The Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme will end. You can still make a claim until 24 February

Routine contact tracing in England will also end. People who have been in contact with a positive case will no longer be required to self-isolate or be encouraged to take daily tests, even if they have not been vaccinated.

Venue check-ins on the NHS App will also end.

From 1st April 

People with Covid symptoms will be asked to exercise personal responsibility when deciding whether to stay at home. 

Free lateral flow tests (LFTs) will no longer be available in England from 1 April for most people except to the over-75s and people over the age of 12 who have weakened immune system

Free PCR tests for people with symptoms will no longer be available except for a small number of at-risk groups, details of which will be announced in March.

Free symptomatic testing will remain available to social care staff with Covid symptoms

Limited symptomatic testing will be available for a small number of at-risk groups - the Government will set out further details on which groups will be eligible.

Steps you can take to reduce the risk of catching and spreading COVID-19

• Get vaccinated

• Stay at home if unwell

• Get tested if you have Covid-19 symptoms and stay at home if the test is positive

• Let fresh air in when meeting indoors, or meet outside

• Consider wearing a face covering in crowded, enclosed places 

• Wash hands or use hand sanitiser regularly

• Follow NHS advice to ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’ for coughs and sneezes