Covid passes look likely to be scrapped in the UK this month as the Omicron wave eases. The Covid-19 variant has been described as “mild” almost since it was first spotted by doctors working in the field.
The controversial certification caused backbench revolt in the UK, though the pass has been rolled out in most EU countries.
Now The Times reports that the British Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, “has concluded that Covid-19 9 certification is longer needed as the Omicron wave eases”.
He is said to have concluded that with daily Covid cases falling rapidly there were “encouraging signs” that infections would continue to fall. The Health Secretary said that while the NHS remained under ‘significant pressure’, it was ‘encouraging that during this wave we have seen no increase in the number of Covid-19 intensive care patients and there are early signs that the rate of hospitalisation is starting to slow’.
Omicron cases have fallen by almost 40 per cent in a week, the eighth day in a row that positive tests for the virus have declined week-on-week.
It is reported that Mr Javid told MPs that he shared their “instinctive discomfort” at the Covid pass policy.
This week, Spain is finalizing plans to begin treating Covid-19 surveillance in the same manner as it would the flu
Earlier this week, the Health Secretary cut the number of days people with a positive test have to self-isolate to five.