Coronavirus (COVID-19): Public health advice
Step 4
England is now on Step 4 of the government's roadmap to easing Covid-19 restrictions.
While cases are high and rising, everybody needs to continue to act carefully and remain cautious. This is why key protections will be kept in place, including:
- testing when you have symptoms and targeted asymptomatic testing in education, high risk workplaces and to help people manage their personal risk.
- isolating when positive or when contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
- border quarantine: for all arriving from red list countries and for those people not fully vaccinated arriving from amber list countries.
People fully vaccinated or under 18 in England no longer need to self-isolate after close contact with someone who has Covid-19. You’ll still need to take a PCR test and self-isolate if it’s positive or if you have symptoms.
Cautious guidance for individuals, businesses and the vulnerable while prevalence is high, including:
- while the Government is no longer instructing people to work from home if they can, Government would expect and recommend a gradual return over the summer.
- Government expects and recommends that people wear face coverings in crowded areas such as public transport.
- being outside or letting fresh air in.
- minimising the number, proximity and duration of social contacts.
- encouraging and supporting businesses and large events to use the NHS COVID Pass in high risk settings. The Government will work with organisations where people are likely to be in close proximity to others outside their household to encourage the use of this. If sufficient measures are not taken to limit infection, the Government will consider mandating certification in certain venues at a later date.