The government is considering reducing the self-isolation period for fully vaccinated people who test positive for Covid, Boris Johnson has said.
Under proposals being considered by the Cabinet those who had been double jabbed would only have to self-isolate for five days.
It comes amid highly elevated case levels thanks to the spread of the Omicron variant, and a shortage of lateral flow tests – which are required under the current rules to leave isolation early.
The United States cut its isolation period to five days from 10 days last month, with people coming out of isolation asked to take extra precautions such as wearing a mask.
At the time the UK government denied it was looking at such an approach – but a shortage of staff being forced to self-isolate with mild cases of Covid is putting significant pressure on services.
“There’s a similar argument to be had about the quarantine period – whether to come down from seven days to five days,” the prime minister said on Monday on a visit to vaccination centre in his home constituency of Uxbridge.
“The thing to do is to look at the science. We are looking at that and we will act according to the science.”
Cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday that cutting the self-isolation period to five days would “certainly help” with staffing shortages.
As education secretary Mr Zahawi is grappling with a shortage of teachers and support staff in schools, which are struggling to stay open.
Under the current rules in England people have to self-isolate for 10 days, but can cut this to seven days in most cases if they test negative on a lateral flow test.
Later, Downing Street said it hopes to see the scientific evidence that would allow the isolation period to be cut from 7 days to 5 days “soon”.
“If it is possible to go further, we would want to act quickly,” the prime minister’s spokesman said.
“But it needs to be based on the latest evidence and that work is still ongoing. We certainly have not received any further updated advice.”
