The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2021 (SI 2021/1073) have been made, and came into force at 11.55 pm on 27 September 2021. The Regulations impose the legal requirement to self-isolate where an individual tests positive for COVID-19 or is an unvaccinated close contact of an individual who has tested positive. The government stated in its recent COVID-19 Autumn and Winter Plan 2021 that self-isolation will remain crucial in breaking chains of transmission.
In addition, the Regulations amend the Self-isolation Regulations:
- To clarify that a household contact will only be exempt from self-isolation due to being fully vaccinated if they are fully vaccinated at the date the household contact first developed symptoms, or, where the contact is asymptomatic, the date the contact took the test that led to the positive result.
- To extend the exemption from the duty to self-isolate for fully vaccinated persons to those who have received doses of two different Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorised vaccines in the UK.
- To clarify the requirements on those taking part in a testing scheme, in a situation where they test positive with a lateral flow test, but receive a subsequent negative confirmatory PCR test result.
