Ministers have ruled out extending the list of workers who are exempt from self-isolation rules and warned that the August 16 date for lifting quarantine for double-vaccinated people could be delayed.
George Eustice, the environment secretary, said he recognised the “stress” that staff shortages were causing for businesses after a record 618,903 people were pinged by the NHS Covid-19 tracing app last week.
However, he defended the government’s decision to limit the lifting of self-isolation requirements to food supply workers, saying ministers were keeping “a very close eye” on the number of hospital admissions.
He also suggested that the government could delay the August 16th date when all self-isolation rules are lifted for double-vaccinated people, saying the government had only announced the date to
