Boris Johnson scraps remaining COVID restrictions in England

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scrapping the last domestic coronavirus restrictions in England, including the requirement for people with COVID-19 to self-isolate, even as he acknowledged Monday the potential for new and more deadly variants of the virus.

Johnson told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the country was "moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility" as part of a plan for treating COVID-19 like other transmissible illnesses such as flu.
He said it marked an end to "two of the darkest, grimmest years in our peacetime history."
"Today is not the day we can declare victory over COVID, because this virus is not going away," Johnson said at a televised news conference. "But it is the day when all the efforts of the last two years finally enabled us to protect ourselves whilst restoring our liberties in full."

Johnson confirmed that mandatory self-isolation for people with COVID-19 will end starting Thursday and the routine tracing of infected people's contacts will stop. People will still be advised to stay home if they are sick _ but will no longer get extra financial support.
Monday's announcement applies only to England, which is home to 56 million of the U.K.'s 67 million people. It leaves England with fewer restrictions than most other European countries, with the exception of Denmark.
Many people in England who think they have COVID-19 may now never know for sure. Starting April 1, lab-confirmed PCR tests for the virus will be available free only to older people and the immune-compromised. The government will also stop offering the public free rapid virus tests, though they will be available for purchase.
Yet the government stressed that the pandemic isn't over and the virus could...