Javid to announce end of quarantine for those fully vaccinated

Fully-vaccinated adults will no longer need to self-isolate if pinged by the NHS Covid-19 app, Sajid Javid will confirm today. The policy change will come into effect from Monday, meaning fewer people will be required to quarantine. Instead of the need to self-isolate, people who received their second jabs at least 14 days before being “pinged” are advised to take a PCR test. If they then test positive for the virus, they will have to go into quarantine. Elsewhere, the government has been urged to cap the price of private coronavirus tests, amid warnings that only wealthy families are able afford international travel. This comes as more than 100 outlets on the government website are charging in excess of £200 for PCR tests. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Tory MP Henry Smith called for a £40 cap, saying that travellers are having to “pay through the nose for a battery of tests”. Alerts from NHS Covid-19 app decrease The amount of “pings” sent out by the NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales has decreased by 20 per cent, according to government data. In the week to 4 August, 317,132 alerts were given, a fifth lower than the total seen in the previous seven days. From Monday, those who are fully vaccinated will not be required to self-isolate if they are pinged.