A HOTELIER has welcomed the Government’s decision to reduce the Covid-19 self-isolation period to five full days.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced the new policy yesterday following a “review of evidence”, stating those infected would be free to leave their homes on day six, if they had two negative lateral flow tests.

Jacqui Dallimore, managing director of the Roslin Hotel in Southend, welcomed the news as a boon for hospitality.

She said: “This move will help immensely both in terms of keeping up staffing levels and having boosting the number of paying customers.

“It will lead to more people out and about spending money, which after the last few year, will be a great help.

“Particularly in hospitality we have been very hard hit by Covid, especially when our staff have had to isolate for so long, it has been hard.”

Echo:

Jacqui Dallimore

She added: “I welcome it going down to five days, as I’m sure all businesses around the town do, but it’s imperative that this is done safely, with people using lateral flow tests to make sure they are okay to leave their homes.”

Sajid Javid told MPs in the House of Commons that UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data showed “that around two-thirds of positive cases are no longer infectious by the end of day five”.

“From Monday, people can test twice before they go – leaving isolation at the start of day six,” he said.

“These two tests are critical to these balanced and proportionate plans, and I’d urge everyone to take advantage of the capacity we have built up in tests so we can restore the freedoms to this country while we’re keeping everyone safe.”

Under the move, people will be able to take tests on day five and six but, if positive, must stay in isolation until they have had negative tests on two consecutive days.

Mr Javid told MPs Covid is “still with us and there are still likely to be difficult weeks ahead”, but pointed to encouraging signs that infections are falling in London and the East of England, with cases in Basildon and Southend falling dramatically in the last week.