Sadiq Khan urges Johnson to change isolation rules

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has urged Boris Johnson to end self-isolation for those who are fully vaccinated and have come into contact with Covid.

The Mayor has reportedly written to Johnson yesterday, Friday 23, to end the so-called ‘pingdemic’ and change the rules so that those who are fully vaccinated do not have to isolate if they take a daily test.

On behalf of the London Covid Business Forum, Mr Khan wrote of “the continuing mixed messages from ministers around self-isolation” and the harmful effect it was having on London’s businesses, media reports said.

“Many hospitality businesses, such as pubs and restaurants, are already struggling with staff shortages,” the letter from Khan, joined by UK Hospitality, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the capital’s branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, said.

“These shortages have been exacerbated, in some cases leading to temporary closure, by large numbers of employees being simultaneously advised to isolate by the NHS Covid app.”

“We are therefore calling on you to ensure that the necessary testing is in place to enable people who have been double vaccinated for longer than two weeks and pinged by the NHS Covid app, to immediately return to work, following a negative PCR test, rather than having to self-isolate,” the letter said.

The signatories said that this would help employers and employees to retain faith in the NHS Covid app in England and Wales, Eastern Eye reports.

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