Isolation requirements for people testing positive with COVID-19 could be scrapped by the UK government, it is being reported.
This would mean that people would no longer need to isolate at home if they tested positive for the virus, in a huge break from laws that have been in place since last year.
Instead, the virus would be treated the same as other diseases – such as flu – as part of new plans from ministers, which were leaked in the Mail on Sunday over the weekend.
In documents seen by the paper, 160 pages outline government plans to end self-isolation rules in England by spring as part of so-called Operation Rampdown.
This ‘move to normality’ would also mean the end of the Test and Trace system, free lateral flow tests, and the £500 weekly allowance provided to help low earners fulfill the legal 10-day isolation requirements that are currently in place.
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One document said: “We will no longer be prioritising the previous objectives of breaking chains of transmission at all costs.”
In the documents, officials from Whitehall claim the virus will become endemic and that the legal requirement for those with a positive Covid test to self isolate for 10 days – which currently expires in March – will not be renewed.
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Government insiders, however, have stressed that nothing will change until next year – with the current focus seeming to be on encouraging people to get their flu and booster shots.
The papers were created as part of a six-week review by the UK Health Security Agency, designed to look forward to the spring and how the situation is expected to be, come the new year.
The documents seem to suggest that government ministers are looking to take England off its Covid war footing and instead make some sort of return to ‘normality’.
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It is expected that, instead of the previous national response, in the new year the fight will be taken to local authorities with councils expected to do more to protect vulnerable communities – such as those living in care homes.
Independent Sage, however, is currently calling for a Plan B to help ‘save Christmas’ and help the NHS – which it says will not otherwise be able to cope this winter.
Elsewhere, the Royal College of Nursing has called for the mandatory wearing of facemasks to be reimposed.
36,517 new cases were announced in Britain by the government on Sunday, 14 November, a fall of 30% since the last peak in October.
The government currently seems to be relying on the booster jab programme to help get people through the winter.
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it is expected to announce today (Monday 15, November) that booster shots will be extended to the under-50s in a bid to increase the nation’s immunity to the virus over the winter months, according to reports in the Sunday Times.
The rules on self-isolation have already changed for people who are under the age of eighteen or double vaccinated so that these groups do not need to isolate if they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive.
The move to entirely eliminate the need for self-isolation for anyone testing positive with COVID-10 by March 2022, however, would be very drastic and a huge step away from measures that have been in place throughout the pandemic up until now.
Price caps and standardisations to be introduced for vet care in UK following major investigation
Emily Sergeant
Reforms to the veterinary industry to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market are set to be introduced this year.
After an independent inquiry group recently found that the current system is leaving pet owners ‘in the dark’, with a lack of information to help make informed decisions leading to weak competition and high prices, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has this week concluded its investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
The final report green-lights a package of measures to make the market more competitive, easier to navigate, and more responsive to pet owners’ needs.
It outlines the final remedies and recommendations, which together, will transform the market.
Remedies and recommendations in the report range from price caps and standardisations, through to upfront cost transparency.
We’ve set out major reforms to the UK’s veterinary sector now our market investigation is complete.
Our reforms will help pet owners better navigate the vet services market and will start coming into force later this year.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) March 24, 2026
Practices will soon be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options – so pet owners know up-front how much certain services are expected to cost.
They’ll also have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business, and provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more (including aftercare costs), plus an itemised bill.
Written prescription fees are set to be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and then £12.50 for any additional medicines.
Price caps and standardisations are set to be introduced for vet care in UK / Credit: Pxhere
There’s also set to be changes to the complaints process, as practices will now be required to follow a transparent, accessible, in-house complaints process, and engage in mediation where disputes cannot be resolved.
The CMA says an ‘unprecedented’ response from both the public and the sector has helped to shape the final report.
The next step is for the Government to respond to the report formally – with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, commenting: “We are grateful for all the work of the Competition and Markets Authority, and we will respond to the report and set out next steps for our proposed reforms in due course.
“This Government is focused on helping families save money on vet services by improving transparency and choice around pricing, so the public can make informed decisions about their pets’ care.”
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Police release footage of Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest by hiding under a bed
Emily Sergeant
Police have released unseen footage of a Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest and justice by hiding under a bed.
David Dale Thompson, of no fixed abode, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (18 March) where he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of residential burglary at an earlier hearing.
The 43-year-old was caught early last year (15 January 2025) following proactive patrols by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) neighbourhood officers across Rusholme and Moss Side, who were in the area due to a high number of reports of burglaries in the weeks prior.
While on patrol, police spotted Thompson ‘acting suspiciously’ while riding a bike just before 5pm, and once officer subsequently followed him to a property on Boscombe Street, before calling for more officers to attend.
After gaining entry to the address, officers suspected something was wrong when they entered one of the rooms, and after lifting up the bed, they found Thompson hiding in the storage compartment attempting to evade arrest.
GMP has now released footage of the moment Thompson was caught.
Speaking following Thompson’s sentencing last week, Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, of GMP’s Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: “This was a fantastic example of proactive policing, which has resulted in a serial offender now behind bars.
“We know how devastating a burglary in your own home can be and this shows our commitment to tackling them head on.
“If you have any information or concerns about neighbourhood crime in your area, make sure you speak to us. In the meantime, we have officers on regular patrols in areas that need us the most.”
Georgina Pellant -
15th November 2021 
