UK’s Johnson signals early end to COVID isolation rules

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says laws requiring people in England with COVID-19 to self-isolate could be lifted by the end of the month, bringing an end to all domestic coronavirus restrictions. Johnson told lawmakers Wednesday that as long as current encouraging trends continue, the legal requirement for people who test positive to self-isolate can end a full month earlier than planned. Johnson will present his plan for living with the virus on Feb. 21. Johnson’s Conservative government dropped most remaining COVID-19 restrictions last month. Face masks are no longer mandatory anywhere in England, except on London’s public transport network. Virus passports for gaining entry to nightclubs and large-scale events were also scrapped.