Self-isolation period shortened from two weeks to 10 days in the UK

11 December 2020, 12:29

The new rules will come into effect on Monday
The new rules will come into effect on Monday. Picture: Getty
Alice Dear

By Alice Dear

The new conditions will come into place from Monday, chief medical officers have confirmed.

The self-isolation period in the UK is being decreased from 14 day to 10 days, it has been announced.

Wales were the first to confirm the news, with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland following suit later.

READ MORE: The areas in England that have recorded the biggest jump in coronavirus cases

People travelling home from high-risk countries will only need to isolate for 10 days
People travelling home from high-risk countries will only need to isolate for 10 days. Picture: Getty

The new rules come into place on Monday, and will apply to people who have been in contact with someone with confirmed coronavirus.

The change also applies to people travelling back to the UK from high-risk countries.

At the moment, people with symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test are expected to isolate for 10 days anyway.

The new conditions will come into place from Monday, chief medical officers have confirmed
The new conditions will come into place from Monday, chief medical officers have confirmed. Picture: Getty

The four UK chief medical officers said in a statement today: "After reviewing the evidence, we are now confident that we can reduce the number of days that contacts self-isolate from 14 days to 10.

"People who return from countries which are not on the travel corridor list should also self-isolate for 10 days instead of 14 days."

While the rules come into place from Monday, the NHS track and trace app will not update the 14 days until Thursday.

READ MORE: England's four new coronavirus hotspots at risk of moving into higher tiers