This week the Prime Minister announced that covid restrictions are coming to an end, removing the need for twice weekly testing in schools, and from today (24th February), replacing mandatory self-isolation following a positive test with guidance. 

For the past two years, this dreadful virus has wrought untold misery on all of us as a nation, claiming thousands of lives, impacting livelihoods and disrupting the very way we are able to interact with each other.

So this move, replacing the legal requirement to self-isolation with guidance a month earlier than planned, represents a momentous milestone on the route back to normality.

As the Prime Minister said, covid is not over. It remains a virus with potentially serious consequences. But thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout – the fastest in Europe – and remarkable treatments approved in the past year, we now retain the most open economy and society in Europe, and the fastest growing economy in the G7.

For those immuno-suppressed, I appreciate that catching covid remains a cause of very real concern. Having had to shield from the virus myself, I completely understand the fear of not knowing how you will respond to covid, should you become infected. But the reality is that catching covid now is no longer the same threat as two years ago when this virus first appeared.

Omicron does fortunately seem more mild than previous variants, and most immuno-suppressed people will have had four doses of the vaccine. Across the general population, over 139 million covid vaccine doses have been administered, and we also now have highly effective treatments, such as dexamethasone, tocilizumab and antivirals, to act against the worst impacts of the virus.

Restrictions are not without consequences; on mental health, NHS waiting lists, and our economy. Here in Shropshire, we see covid rates, hospitalisations and deaths all falling. So returning to a sense of normality, where we learn to live with covid and reap benefits from our impressive vaccine rollout, is the right approach.

Government funded covid-19 testing will end from 1st April, other than symptomatic testing for the most vulnerable and social care staff.

Covid has not disappeared, and personal responsibility still will play a role. As with a cold, if you are ill, reconsider visiting more vulnerable friends and family. But overall, I am sure this step will be warmly welcomed after two years of struggle and heroic efforts by so many to keep the public safe and healthy.