The Office for National Statistics (ONS) spoke with 1,369 people over the age of 18 who tested positive for coronavirus up to two days before February 24, 2022, when the legal requirement to be isolated for at least five days was lifted. Respondents were interviewed from February 28 to March 8, 2022, when self-isolation was reported, but was not legally necessary. The survey found that 876 respondents (64%) were in isolation after testing positive for COVID. Analysis: Why are COVID cases and hospital admissions rising again? This compares with 80% of the 1,006 people surveyed from 7 to 12 February 2022, when self-isolation was legally required. Despite the reduction in the number of people isolated, almost all respondents in the last survey (99%) agreed that it was important to follow self-isolation tips. Of those who did not fully follow the advice to isolate themselves, 94% said they left home for non-compliant reasons. This was much higher than in the previous period (84%), when self-isolation was a legal requirement. The majority of respondents in the latest survey (96%) who worked full-time, part-time or unpaid, or received sick pay or unpaid leave from work reported that their employer knew they were being advised to isolate – despite lifting the obligation to inform employers. Tim Gibbs, head of the ONS Public Service Analysis Team, said: “Now that the legal requirement for self-isolation following a coronavirus test (COVID-19) has been removed in the UK, our data today reveals more about compliance. . “Compliance with self-isolation rules was significantly lower than the level reported in February 2022, when self-isolation was a legal requirement. Nevertheless, we see that almost all respondents agreed that it was important to follow self-isolation advice.” People who test positive for coronavirus should be legally isolated according to government rules for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic in England. Read more: Norovirus cases are on the rise as more and more people socialize, health experts warn In January, the Ministry of Health said the default isolation period was 10 days, but people could end it in half a year if they received consecutive negative results on the fifth and sixth day. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:06 COVID cases increase by one million in a week The findings come as free COVID-19 tests will no longer be available in the UK from 1 April and will only be available to the most vulnerable, as cases continue to rise across much of the UK. According to the latest ONS figures, about one in 16 people in private households in England – or 3.5 million people – are likely to have COVID-19 by the week of 19 March. This is higher than one in 20, or 2.7 million people, last week and this is the third consecutive week that cases are thought to be on the rise.
