Government officials are examining whether fully vaccinated NHS workers could be allowed to forgo self-isolation in order to curb a healthcare staffing crisis amid a rapid spread of Covid infections. Downing Street said on Friday it was considering whether ending the requirement to self-isolate if “pinged” by the NHS Covid app could be brought forward for NHS staff. It comes amid rising infections in the UK, which are in turn leading to a rise in people being told to self-isolate. Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, warned on Thursday that staffing levels were being hit because of workers self-isolating. The prime minister’s official spokesperson confirmed on Friday that a specific exemption for NHS staff was being looked at ahead of 19 July.

Source: The Guardian July 10, 2021 10:07 UTC