The Government has confirmed that proposals to scrap quarantine requirements for those who have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine are under “consideration”.
Reports this morning in the Times said that a meeting of the Covid operations committee will take place on Monday at which ministers are expected to sign off a plan that will mean those who have been double-jabbed will be “advised”, after so-called “freedom day” on July 19, to take daily tests but not be required to do so.
Downing Street said it was looking at whether to drop all legal self-isolation measures for fully vaccinated people who come into contact with someone who is infected “as part of the post-Step 4 world”.
However the policy has been criticised for being in Blair to those who have not yet been vaccinated
Robert West, professor in health psychology at University College London’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health, told Times Radio he could “see the rationale” for the policy, but added: “There are significant problems with it and at the moment those problems outweigh potential benefits.”
Prof West, who is a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours, which advises Sage, said: “The most serious problem is that if you have a situation where not everyone has been even offered the vaccine then you’ve already got clearly a huge unfairness.”
He said: “When you get unfairness in situations like this, you get resentment and when you get resentment you can get loss of compliance.”
Prof West said “the only possible scenario” where the policy might work was “a long way down the line” when everyone has been offered a double vaccine.
