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Covid live: Netherlands expected to drop Omicron measures; Russia sets cases record for fifth consecutive day
7pm Dutch announcement expected to ease curbs despite high national caseload; New cases in Russia top 67,000 for first time
Boris Johnson faces fresh outrage over lockdown birthday partyA full list of alleged UK government Covid rule-busting ‘parties’US to distribute 400m free N95 masks to pharmacies and health centres‘Paradigm shift’ needed in way WHO is funded, says director generalEngland to end Covid testing for double-vaccinated travellersHalf of first-wave Covid cases may have lasting harm to sense of smellThe UK’s transport secretary Grant Shapps is on Sky News – he has been championing the government’s decision to drop Covid testing and quarantine requirements for international travel from 11 February, which he pointed out was in time for half-term holidays in England. He said:
It’s been a long time coming, but when you go abroad there are no more tests to take when you come home. So you don’t need to take a test before you leave, wherever you’re coming from, to get here. You don’t need to take a day two test, it’s already gone. You can just come home, and the only thing we ask you to do is fill in a passenger locator form, which we are going to simplify. That’s it. No quarantine. No testing. And all that cost would fall away.
A couple of other small things, including children 12 to 15 being able to use the NHS Covid app to demonstrate that they’ve been vaccinated. That’s where countries require that. And under-eighteens are exempt anyway. It’s going to be a big change, much cheaper, and I’m really delighted.
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