UK cuts COVID-19 self-isolation period from 14 to 10 days

self-isolation period stipulated for close contacts of people tested positive for coronavirus will be shortened from 14 to 10 days across UK from Monday, country’s chief medical officers anunced on Friday.

change will also apply to people instructed to quarantine after returning from high-risk countries and means people who have been self-isolating for 10 days or more will be able to end ir quarantine starting next week.

“Self-isolation is essential to reducing spre of Covid as it breaks chains of transmission. After reviewing evidence, we are w confident that we can reduce number of days that contacts self-isolate from 14 days to 10 days,” res joint statement by CMOs for England (Chris Whitty), rrn Ireland (Michael McBride), Scotland (Gregor Smith) and Wales (Frank Arton).

“People who return from countries which are t on travel corridor list should also self-isolate for 10 days inste of 14 days.

People who test positive should continue to self-isolate for 10 days from onset of symptoms or 10 days from point of taking a positive test if asymptomatic. We urge everyone to self-isolate when appropriate, it will save lives,” y te.

According to latest data, people are most infectious around time y first develop symptoms and by day 10, only about 2 per cent will still be capable of passing on virus to ors.

change in rules reflects this low risk, which was judged t to justify asking people to self-isolate for longer periods.

latest change to rules comes as latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows Covid cases falling in most of England and rrn Ireland. However, in week until December 5, re were increases in case numbers in London and east of England.

government will review wher se areas must be moved from a high alert level of Tier 2 under current tiered lockdown system to highest level of Tier 3 when a review is scheduled for next Wednesday.