Ministers rejected the call to shorten Covid sufferers’ isolation from 7 to 5 days, as up to 30% of them would be still infected.
Some Tory MPs and business leaders urged ministers to take the US’s lead and reduce self-isolation to those with no symptoms to five consecutive days.
However, a source within the Government told The Mail that while this option had been discussed, it was dismissed because too many people can still infect others even if self-isolation is completed early.
School lateral flow tests were ring-fenced to ensure schools can open safe next week
Commuters are affected by the large number of bus and train workers who have to take their jobs home, leading to cancellations of services
In hospitals, isolation can also cause problems with NHS staff who are forced to return home.
It comes amid growing concern that lengthy self-isolation is harming vital services and the economy – and with a growing row over the lack of access to lateral flow tests (LFTs).
Labour accused the Government, as millions were preparing to resume work following the holiday break, of not ordering enough LFTs. These LFTs are essential for keeping the country in motion and minimizing the risk from Omicron.
Ministers say that LFTs with hundreds of million more will be soon available.
Just before Christmas, self-isolation was reduced from ten to seven days as long as the individual is negative for Covid on two LFTs – the first on day six and the second on day seven.
Asked about the proposal for a further cut to five days, the Government source said: ‘The data we have is that almost one in three people could still be infectious five days after testing positive with Omicron. It isn’t thought it would be safe to cut self-isolation that far.’
The decision differs from that taken in the US where the influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the move to halve self-isolation from ten to five days would ‘ensure people can safely continue their daily lives’.
Americans need to be pain-free for at least five days and must wear a mask while they are around other people for five additional days in order to reintegrate into daily living. In Greece, Health Minister Thanos Plevris indicated that Omicron’s relative mildness compared with previous variants lay behind its decision to cut the period of self-isolation. ‘The evidence we have from Omicron is encouraging,’ he said.
Instead of relying on symptoms being gone after just five days, the UK Government may require that people have at least two negative LFT tests but then move them to days four or five.
The system, however is self-policing. LFTs are not as sensitive as the gold-standard PCR test and can still cause infection.
A second consideration is the low availability of LFTs. Many pharmacies are out of stock because of rising demand.
Last night, Labour’s health spokesman Wes Streeting said Health Secretary Sajid Javid needed to ‘pull his finger out’ to ensure people had access to the tests. He added: ‘Given how critical testing is going to be over the course of the coming months, the Government really does need to get an immediate grip on this.
‘Testing is going to be vital to keep people working and keeping children at school. If families can’t do that, because Ministers haven’t got their act together, they will have a lot to answer for.’
Each day approximately one million LFTs (double the number of PCRs) are used.
Omicron’s emergence in December was met with resistance from health officials who were certain there would not be sufficient supplies to satisfy the higher demand.
Mr Streeting said: ‘The Health Secretary said before Christmas the challenge was distribution not supply, and there were plentiful stocks of tests in warehouses. But I think it’s more likely the Government has simply underestimated demand, hasn’t ordered enough tests, and doesn’t want to ‘fess up about it.’
Ministers say that millions upon millions of test results will soon become available. Nadhim Zahawi, Education Secretary, says schools have been given tests to make sure they can reopen as safely and securely this week.
commuters worry that Covid-related staff shortages could cause misery on the trains as Britain returns to work.
Over 20 railway companies are considering reducing services due to Covid infections or self-isolation regulations.