London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 21, 2026

What are the UK's 'Living with Covid' plans?

What are the UK's 'Living with Covid' plans?

Almost exactly two years after they were first introduced, the last remaining Covid restrictions are coming to an end across the UK.

England and Northern Ireland have already removed all remaining laws, and Scotland and Wales will follow suit by the end of March.

However, a few guidelines remain in place.

What is the situation in England now?


The government set out its "Living with Covid" plan earlier this year.

*  if you test positively for Covid you are no longer legally required to self-isolate, but you are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with others for at least five full days

*  masks are no longer legally required in most public spaces - although they are still required in healthcare settings, such as GP surgeries, hospitals and care homes

From 1 April:

*  lateral flow tests (LFTs) will no longer be free, except for the over-75s and over-12s with weakened immune systems - everyone else will have to buy them from pharmacist or other retailers

*  the NHS Covid pass will no longer be recognised as a "vaccine passport" within the UK

All of England's remaining international travel restrictions - including the requirement to complete passenger locator forms - are also expected to be scrapped.

Over-75s and people with a weakened immune system are also being offered an extra Covid booster jab this spring, six months after their previous dose.

How are the rules changing in Wales?


Wales expects to scrap all remaining Covid restrictions from 28 March, but will maintain some testing measures until July.

*  PCR tests will no longer be freely available for the general public

*  LFTs will be available online for free - but only for testing people who have symptoms

*  people will be advised to get an LFT if they have symptoms and isolate if positive

*  contact tracing will continue

From the end of June:

*  LFTs will cease to be available for testing people with symptoms

*  contact tracing and self-isolation support payments will end

*  self-isolation guidance will be changed to advise take additional precautions when ill, such as staying at home if possible

How are the rules changing in Scotland?


Scotland's Covid certification scheme ended on Monday, 28 February, although businesses and venues can still keep using it if they want.

Secondary school pupils are still required to wear face masks in corridors.

From 21 March:

*  masks will no longer be legally required on public transport and indoor venues (although their use will still be "strongly recommended")

*  businesses, places of worship and service providers will no longer have to follow government guidance on measures to avoid Covid

*  there will be no requirement for businesses and service providers to keep customer contact details

*  people who test positive will still be required to self-isolate, although the length of quarantine is being kept under review

*  The Scottish government says that free Covid testing will continue in some form beyond April

The current restrictions include:

* shops and businesses need to take measures to limit the spread of Covid

*  face coverings are compulsory on public transport and most indoor spaces, including shops and secondary schools

*  a 2m (6ft) distancing rule remains in place in healthcare settings such as hospitals, doctors' surgeries and dentists


How are the rules changing in Northern Ireland?

Covid certificates for nightclubs, mandatory face coverings, track and trace requirements and the cap on 30 people in private homes are no longer legal requirements.

Legal measures have been replaced by guidance, which recommends that face masks are still worn in certain places, such as enclosed public spaces and health and social care settings.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Prince Harry and Meghan to Move Back to Britain With Their Children
Moderna and Merck's Personalized Cancer Vaccine Succeeds in Historic Late-Stage Melanoma Trial
Former Scottish National Party Executive Peter Murrell Jailed for Five Years Over £400,000 Embezzlement
England and Wales Have Fewer Than 1,800 Prison Places Left for Men
Suspected People Smuggler Arrested After Investigation Identified Him
Children's Doctors Warn That Vaping Can Lead Young People to Smoking
Hundreds of Thousands of Students Receive GCSE and Vocational Results Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Here Is What Can Never Happen in Your Country: Taiwan Is Giving Money to All Its People Because It Collected Too Much Tax
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Energy Bills Jump
UK Issues New Conduct Guide for Asylum Seekers on Consent and Respect
Moderna Shares Surge After Positive Personalized Skin Cancer Trial Results
UK Markets Watch US National Debt Surpass Forty Trillion Dollars
UK Broadcasters Urge Government to Invest in Digital Participation and Broadband
CVC Capital Partners and Standard Life Launch Two Billion Pound Pension Risk Transfer Venture
UK Private Sector Productivity Growth Accelerates in Second Quarter
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Condemns Israeli E1 Settlement Tender
UK Watchdog Investigates Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Hidden Fees
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Plan Move to Private Home Outside London
UK Retail Sentiment Improves as Summer Spending Boosts Consumer Confidence
UK Aid Cuts Draw Warnings From Charities Over Humanitarian Consequences
UK Financial Conduct Authority Issues Guidance for Motor Finance Redress Scheme
UK Met Office Launches Aviation Programme to Reduce Climate Impact of Persistent Contrails
Former UK Civil Service Chief Received Record 500,000 Pound Severance Payment
West Midlands to Bring Bus Network Under Public Franchising Model
UK Government Drops Plan to Relax Affordable Housing Requirements After Backlash
UK Reaffirms Military Support for Ukraine Despite Russian Hybrid Warfare Threats
UK Technology Sector Expands Nearly 8 Percent as Digital Industry Outpaces Wider Economy
UK Drought Threatens Harvests Across England and Wales as Food Inflation Risks Persist
UK Government Pledges 442 Million Pounds to End Rough Sleeping by Christmas
UK Government Signals Willingness to Reconsider Digital Services Tax Amid US Tariff Threats
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9 Percent as Energy Costs Threaten Economic Recovery
NHS Hospitals Cancel Surgeries as Extreme Heat Pushes Ward Temperatures Above 40 Degrees Celsius
UK Heatwave Forces Emergency Measures as Wildfire Risk, Hospital Disruption and Drought Intensify
A Sleepless Night on Wall Street: Nasdaq to Begin Nearly Round-the-Clock Trading
"The First in the World": 69-Year-Old Protested Artificial Intelligence—and Went to Jail
Ukraine's Ousted Defence Minister Calls for Wartime Presidential Election
UK Marks Ten Years of Night Tube as London Weekend Usage Exceeds Eighty-One Thousand Journeys a Night
Met Office Issues Thunderstorm Warnings Across Northern Ireland Over Flash-Flood Risk
Frasers Group Raises Stake in Hugo Boss to Nearly Forty-Eight Percent
Scottish Clyde Marine Pilots Prepare for Strike That Could Disrupt Glasgow and Greenock Shipping
Twenty Passengers Injured After Southern Train Derails Near Lewes in East Sussex
Government Rules Out High-Speed Rail Revival Between West Midlands and Northern England
West Midlands Bus Network Returns to Public Ownership in Twenty-Four Million Pound Deal
UK Competition Watchdog Targets Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Drip Pricing
Northern Ireland Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Resigns After Dispute Over Causeway Hospital Surgery Closure
UK Long-Term Government Bond Yields Rise to Five Point Eight Five Percent as Borrowing Costs Surge
UK Government Overhauls Planning Rules to Push Housing Development Near Major Transport Hubs
UK Health and Economic Pressures Highlight Wider Strain on Households and Public Finances
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Reaffirms Full Support for Ukraine Amid Russian Warnings
Sainsbury’s Suspends Live Facial Recognition at London Store After Customer Misidentified
×