UK eases self-isolation rules for vaccinated adults

LONDON • Adults in Britain who are fully vaccinated will no longer be legally required to self-isolate if they come into contact with a coronavirus case from Aug 16, the British government said.

All under-18s will also be able to avoid isolation under the new rules, according to a statement late on Wednesday from the Department of Health.

People identified as close contacts by the test-and-trace programme will instead be advised to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and will be free to go to work and school as normal.

The announcement comes after last month's so-called "pingdemic", when a surge in alerts from the National Health Service's Covid-19 mobile phone app caused havoc for British food producers, retailers and pubs.

"Getting two doses of a vaccine has tipped the odds in our favour and allowed us to safely reclaim our lost freedoms," Health Secretary Sajid Javid said. "Double-jabbed people who test positive will still need to self-isolate."

Just over three quarters of all adults in Britain have been double-vaccinated, while 89 per cent have had one dose.

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