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.
New images released of Piccadilly Gardens as transformation plans take a big step forward
Daisy Jackson
Plans to transform Piccadilly Gardens to make them more ‘colourful, vibrant and safe’ have taken a big step forward today, with new images released.
Manchester City Council has shared the vision to the public ahead of a planning application being submitted this summer.
The plans to finally give Piccadilly Gardens some love were revealed last autumn, but things are now moving at pace with a delivery team appointed to design and build the new public space.
The new images show the vision for more green space, including lawns, trees, planting, seating, and colourful horticultural displays.
The temperamental fountains will also be removed for good, replaced with a new space called The Pavilion which will host family-friendly events.
The low concrete walls and raised planters at the edge of the gardens will be ripped out, improving the setting of the Queen Victoria statue.
There’ll be a new, larger playground for younger children, created in the same high quality style as the new parks at Mayfield Park and Ancoats Green.
A pre-planning consultation has started today and will run until Wednesday 15 July, with plans to submit the final planning application later this summer.
The new-look play area at Piccadilly GardensPlans for the new Piccadilly Gardens from above
The council has said that these new designs reflect feedback from the public and opinions on what we want to see at the new Piccadilly Gardens.
Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We’re getting on with sorting out Piccadilly Gardens. We all want to see a space which Mancunians can be proud of – a welcoming and attractive environment which people want to spend time in.
“So as well other initiatives which are delivering more police and more CCTV, we’re bringing forward this scheme to transform the public space. That means investment in more flowers, more greenery, a new welcome pavilion, a new and bigger playground and an altogether more inviting Piccadilly Gardens. A bright new chapter is just around the corner.”
Further planned improvements to the area around Piccadilly Gardens in the coming years will include a multi-million pound investment by Transport for Greater Manchester to create a new, modern transport interchange.
Council calls on Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use
Emily Sergeant
Residents across Manchester are being called on to help bring hundreds of empty homes across the region back into use.
Since the beginning of this year, a major review has been underway around the city’s draft strategy for bringing empty homes back into use to help meet demand for affordable homes across the city, while also improving communities by tackling empty homes that can blight an area… but now, Manchester City Council needs your help.
Following a major public consultation, the Council is now acting on feedback to accelerate plans to bring as many long-term empty homes back into active use as possible.
Although the number of long-term empty homes in Manchester is near a historic low, with the Council having managed to reduce the number by more than half since 2013, there is still more work to be done.
“Every void property is a missed opportunity to provide a family a place to live, reduce homelessness, and lessen the burden on temporary accommodation,” the Council said in a statement.
The Council is calling on the Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
So, how can residents help then? What do you need to do if you spot an empty home on a street nearby?
Well, the easiest way to report an empty home is to report the issue online here, or by emailing [email protected]. And then once that’s done, a team of dedicated empty homes officers will take up the case to find out who owns the property and work with the owner on a plan to bring the home back into use.
The vast number of empty homes are privately owned with complex histories, and there are some cases where an owner may have passed away.
While working collaboratively with housing providers, voluntary organisations and public services are also a key element of detecting potentially empty or ‘problematic’ homes to repurpose them.
Officers can also support, where required, if a communication or language poses a barrier to resolving an empty home issue.
Tailored approaches to different communities – where empty homes impact neighbourhoods in different ways – are also being considered, according to the Council.
“To think, if we could bring all empty homes back into use, then we could provide more homes for those on the housing register and take pressure off the whole housing system,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.
“The potential of making empty homes a thing of the past is huge for Manchester families looking for a place to call home – and a significant part of tackling the housing crisis.”
Georgina Pellant -
15th November 2021 
