Coronavirus in numbers: UK reports further 398 deaths

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Brits are still living with coronavirus restrictions, with strict rules around isolation times, working from home, wearing face masks and travelling abroad. As we learn to live with the ongoing pandemic rules often change, and a set of changes are coming into force this week, from Monday.

Across the UK coronavirus cases have soared in recent weeks due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus.

As of Saturday, the daily cases reached 81,713, with cases over the past seven days a staggering 975,905.

The majority of these were recorded in England, 836,100, with 68,829 in Scotland, 37,707 in Wales and 33,269 in Northern Ireland.

Despite these high numbers cases have hit a plateau, and are at the lowest level for a month.

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Saturday’s recorded cases mark a 44 percent decrease in a week.

Soon the Government will be able to assess whether Plan B rules will end as planned on January 26.

This could mean guidance on working from home, having to use Covid passes at large-scale events and face masks in public could be lifted.

But some rules are changing this week – so what do you need to know?

Isolation rules for those who test positive for Covid are changing from Monday.

Instead of having to isolate for seven days, those with a positive result now must do so for five.

However, isolation will actually last for six days as the first day you test positive or have symptoms is not regarded as the first day of isolation.

So the day you test positive or develop symptoms is known as “day zero” with day one of isolation being the following day.

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On days five and six you will need to take lateral flow tests, if you test negative in both you can leave isolation.

To get lateral flow tests you can either pick them up from a pharmacy or order them via the Government’s website.

Recent rule changes also mean if you don’t have symptoms you no longer need to get a PCR test to confirm a positive lateral flow test.

But you must register a positive lateral flow test via the Government’s website here and then isolate for the specified days.

Should you have Covid symptoms, you still need to get a PCR test regardless of your lateral flow test results.

An upcoming change Brits should also be aware of is that reports suggest Covid tests for fully vaccinated travellers may be scrapped.

Potentially fully jabbed travellers will not need to take a Covid test on return to the UK.

This could come this month, just in time for the February half term.

A source close to Mr Shapps told The Sunday Times: “We are looking at removing all Covid tests for vaccinated travellers by the end of January, which is likely to coincide with the review of the plan B measures on 26 January.”

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