NTIA call on Government to further reduce coronavirus isolation period

04-Jan-2022 - Last updated on 04-Jan-2022 at 10:53 GMT

NTIA call for reduction to isolation period: UK should follow US and reduce isolation to five days (Credit: Getty/ Justin Paget)

The Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) has called for the UK Government to update coronavirus isolation rules once more and adopt a US-style system by reducing the isolation period to five days.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson last updated isolation rules for the UK on 30 December 2021, when he reduced the isolation period for those who had tested positive for the virus from 10 days to seven, following two negative lateral flow tests taken after the sixth day and 24 hours apart.

NTIA CEO Michael Kill said: “With the recent announcement in the US of isolation periods being shortened to five days, and many sectors seeing the impact of infections exacerbated within the workforce and supply chain, we urge the Government to review of the Covid isolation policy."

US isolation now five days

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced the update to rules in the US, which now allow asymptomatic cases out of isolation after five days with mask wearing mandatory for a further five days, having concluded coronavirus is most infectious two days before and three days after symptoms have appeared.

According to Wales Online, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said: "Not all of those cases are going to be severe. In fact, many are going to be asymptomatic.

"We want to make sure there is a mechanism by which we can safely continue to keep society functioning while following the science."

Help workforce shortages

The call from the NTIA to follow in America’s footsteps comes after many pubs experienced staff shortages due to multiple team members having to isolate at the same time over the festive period.

Kill added: “We are calling for the Government to review the current policy, to look to reduce isolation periods or consider a “Test & Release” system, which will help stem escalating workforce shortages leading into 2022.”