‘Significant’ fall in people fully self-isolating since Covid-19 rules scrapped

The proportion of people who fully self-isolate after testing positive for Covid-19 has fallen “significantly” since the rules were scrapped in England at the end of February, a new survey suggests.

By The Newsroom

Published 29th Mar 2022, 15:16 BST

Some 64% of people questioned said they had followed the full advice for self-isolating, down sharply from 80% in early February when isolation was a legal requirement.

The Government removed all rules for self-isolation in England on February 24, since when adults and children who test positive for coronavirus have been advised to stay home and avoid contact with other people for at least five full days, and to follow this guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days.

The survey was carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) between February 28 and March 8.

All respondents had tested positive on either February 22 or 23, so would still have been subject to the previous rules until day one or two of their isolation.