I. Key messages and update
All remaining legal restrictions in England have been removed as part of the prime minister’s “Living with Covid” plan.
It means people who test positive for Covid in England are no longer legally required to self-isolate, although they are still advised to do so.
“Living with Covid” plan includes:
- people with Covid are not legally required to self-isolate
- however, guidance recommends that those who test positive stay at home and avoid contact with others for at least five full days
- self-isolation support payments of £500 for those on low incomes have stopped
- routine contact tracing has ended – people in contact with someone with Covid will no longer be advised to self-isolate or take daily tests
- workers are not required to tell their employer if they need to self-isolate
- face coverings are not mandatory on Transport for London’s tubes, trains or buses, but they are still “strongly encouraged”
From 1 April:
- PCR and lateral flow Covid tests will no longer be free for most people
- Covid passports will no longer be recommended, except for international travel
- employers will no longer have to consider Covid as a separate risk when working out how to keep employees safe
II. Vaccination
Covid Vaccine Schedule
First dose – start at any time for anyone over the age of 12yrs
Second dose – for people over 18yrs the 2nd dose is 8 weeks after the first dose, for children aged 12-17yrs they have it 12 weeks after the first dose
Booster dose – for adults aged 18yrs and over the booster is 3 months after the 2nd dose
Fourth for specific groups – this is for a small group of patients with weaker immune systems and is 12 weeks after their booster dose, the NHS will contact you if this applies to you.
If you had caught covid and you are due to have a vaccine, for adults you should wait 28 days before having the vaccine, for children this is 12 weeks.
Extra Covid booster
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.
Covid jab to five to 11-year-olds
Government says Children aged between five and 11 in England will be offered a low-dose Covid vaccine with the aim of future-proof their defences against a future wave of infection.
In total, about six million children in the UK in that age group will be offered the jab.
Two 10 microgram doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, with at least 12 weeks between each dose, would be administered to those whose parents decide to take up the offer.
III. How to protect yourself with “Living with Covid”
The chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance has warned that Covid will continue to evolve over the next few years. He said that further variants of Covid were expected – and that they could be more severe than those previously seen.
Vaccines remain key to protection.
The Department of Health and Social Care says people who are most vulnerable should follow the same guidance as the general public – but to consider taking extra precautions to reduce their risks.
Suggestions for people most at-risk in England:
- Taking into consideration whether people are vaccinated when meeting
- Continuing to socially distance if this feels right
- Asking friends and family to take lateral flow tests before visiting
- Asking visitors to wear face coverings
- Avoiding enclosed, crowded spaces.
________________________________________________
每月疫情更新: 2022年2月28日
I. 最新疫情信息和政府指引
作为首相“与新冠共存”计划的一部分，英格兰所有的疫情限制已被取消。
在英格兰，新冠病毒检测呈阳性的人士在法律上，不再强制需要自我隔离，但政府仍然建议新冠感染者采取自愿居家隔离。
“与新冠共存”具体措施包括:
- 新冠病毒的感染者在法律上不再强制需要自我隔离
- 政府指南建议新冠检测呈阳性的人士留在家中，并避免与他人接触至少5天
- 停止为低收入者支付 500 英镑的自我隔离补助金
- 新冠密切接触者的追踪已结束——不再建议新冠密切接触者进行自我隔离或进行每日检测
- 雇员不需要告诉雇主自己是否需要自我隔离
- 在伦敦的地铁，火车或公共汽车上，不再强制要求佩戴口罩，但仍然“强烈鼓励”佩戴口罩
从4月1日起:
- 停止对普通公众提供免费的PCR核酸检测和横向测流快速检测
- 除国际旅行外，将不再推荐使用新冠通行证
- 雇主在制定如何确保员工安全时，将不再需要将新冠病毒视为单独的风险
II. 新冠疫苗
新冠疫苗接种时间表
第一剂疫苗 – 任何 12 岁以上的青少年，可以随时开始接种
第二剂疫苗 – 18 岁以上的人士，第一剂 的8 周后可以接种第二剂，12-17 岁的青少年，在第一剂的 12 周后接种可以接种第二剂。
加强剂疫苗 – 18 岁及以上的成年人士，在第二剂的 3 个月后可以接种加强剂。
第四剂疫苗 – 特定群体 – 针对一部分免疫系统较弱的患者，在加强剂量后 12 周后可以接种NHS 将联系符合条件的人士。
如果您接种新冠疫苗之前，感染了新冠病毒，成年人士应该等待 28 天后接种疫苗，青少年应该等待12周后接种疫苗。
额外的加强剂疫苗
从今年春天起，75 岁以上的长者和免疫系统较弱的人士，也将获得额外的新冠加强剂疫苗，接种时间是在上一剂疫苗的 6 个月之后。
5 至 11 岁的儿童新冠疫苗接种
政府表示，将为英格兰 5 至 11 岁的儿童提供低剂量的新冠疫苗，以防御未来可能的新一波疫情。
在英国，总共将会为大约 600 万该年龄段的儿童提供疫苗接种。疫苗接种包括两剂10 微克的辉瑞疫苗，每剂之间至少需要间隔 12 周，并由父母决定是否给孩子接种疫苗。
III. “与新冠共存”下，如何保护自己
首席科学顾问帕特里克–瓦兰斯警告说，新冠病毒将在未来几年会继续存在并变异。 他说，预计会出现更多的新冠病毒变种——它们可能比以前的变种更严重。
疫苗仍然是防疫的关键保护。
英国卫生和社会保健部表示，高危和易感人士应该遵循与公众相同的指导 ，但要考虑采取额外的预防措施来降低被感染的风险。
对英格兰高危人群的建议：
- 会面时考虑对方是否接种了疫苗
- 在自愿的情形下，继续保持社交距离
- 拜访前，请朋友和家人进行新冠快速检测
- 要求访客佩戴口罩
- 避免到封闭，拥挤的空间
___________________________________
No time to read Covid-19 Monthly Update ebooklet? We have it on audio to read out to you. In Mandarin
没有时间阅读电子月刊？我们用声音播放出来给您听。普通话。
No time to read Covid-19 Monthly Update ebooklet? We have it on audio to read out to you. In Cantonese 沒有時間閱讀電子月刊？我們用聲音播放出來給您聽。廣東話。