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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Lizzy Buchan & Laura Hartley

PM promises double jabbed Brits won't be legally required to self-isolate if pinged after August 16

Boris Johnson has promised the August 16 date for when self-isolation rules change is 'nailed on'.

Brits who are double jabbed will no longer be legally required to self isolate if they are 'pinged' by the NHS Covid app.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced earlier this month that fully vaccinated people will no longer have to quarantine for 10 days if they come into contact with a positive Covid case.

But the Mirror is reporting that the Government has now decided that fully vaccinated people without symptoms will not be legally required to get tested.

It was expected that people would be asked to take a PCR test to confirm they didn't have the virus, but this will not be mandatory.

The move comes after the Government faced sustained criticism over the so-called "pingdemic", with large numbers of people forced into isolation in recent days.

Mr Johnson insisted that the planned change to isolation rules would go ahead next month following fears it might be delayed.

The PM told LBC: "August 16 is nailed on - there has never been any question of a review date for August 16.

"I'm very pleased that this is a country that now has the highest proportion of vaccinated adults of any country in the world - that is enabling us to make the economic progress we are."

Infection rates have fallen for seven consecutive days, prompting optimism that the third wave of the virus could be starting to recede.

But the Prime Minister has continued to urge people to be cautious as he warned that the virus "still presents a significant risk".

Meanwhile, plans to allow fully vaccinated travellers from the EU and the US to be exempt from England's quarantine rules are expected to be unveiled later.

Senior ministers were understood to be discussing formally recognising jabs administered abroad at a meeting of the Government's Covid-O committee on Wednesday.

Heathrow Airport, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic said their 10-day pilot scheme proved the vaccination status of travellers can be checked easily away from the border.

Around 250 fully vaccinated passengers on flights from New York, Los Angeles, Jamaica and Athens earlier this month presented their credentials using paper or digital formats before boarding the plane.

Some 99% of their documents were verified as authentic, with just two passengers' credentials rejected.

For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.

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