Nottinghamshire Public Health director: Residents must now take personal responsibility as rule for covid isolation ends

Nottinghamshire's Public Health expert has called on residents to take responsibility as people with coronavirus will no longer be forced into isolation.

Jonathan Gribbin, director of Public Health for Nottinghamshire, issued the warning as he spoke to the media for the final time this afternoon as part of a regular covid-19 briefing series during the pandemic.

He said it was now up to residents to take responsibility.

"We are two years into a pandemic," said Mr Gribbin.

"If we look at what WHO (World Health Organization) and SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) envisaged as likely scenarios, in most cases, it is likely to be several more years before we reach a situation of stability and predictability.

"We can characterise the current situation as one where we are reaching a significant milestone but not yet the final destination.

"We are at half time, but the match is not over yet.

"We can look around and see that the worst of the winter pressures are behind us, but there are still plenty of pressures around our health and social care system.

"It is really into this context that the Prime Minster made his announcement about 'living with covid' plans."

Mr Gribbin said the changes would see release from legislation and a right to exercise personal responsibility.

In setting outs its 'living with covid' plans, the government says the country will begin to treat covid like other infectious diseases such as flu with the ending of all domestic legal restrictions, which started on Thursday.

Alongside doing away with the legal requirement to remain at home while infected, routine contact tracing and self-isolation support payments are also among the features of the last two years that will cease to exist.

"It will involve a shift in behaviours as we move into the future," said Mr Gribbin, reflecting on the changes made.

"In the past, you might be someone who, like me, would have chosen to struggle to get into work if you had a cough.

"In the future it is going to be really important that for ourselves and those around us, for our workplaces and our schools, that we stay at home if we are feeling unwell.

"As we move into this next stage of the pandemic, I want to emphasize that covid remains a serious disease and it is essential that we continue to focus on the safer behaviours."