UK lifts Covid alert levels from pandemic in another step

The UK’s Covid-19 alert levels system has been suspended almost three years after it was introduced.

Government scientists have decided that phased warnings are no longer needed as the virus no longer poses a major disease threat to much of the population thanks to the widespread introduction of vaccines, immunity to infection, and treatment of at-risk patients. Groups.

The alert system was an important tool in the midst of the pandemic, alerting the public as the number of cases of the virus increased exponentially.

The suspension comes a day after the government announced it would be phasing out the NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app, another key piece of the official Covid infrastructure, next month.

While few have realized the level of warning that the app is still in use, its removal is an important step in the UK’s transition to post-pandemic status.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Office for National Statistics study of Covid infection had also been mothballed, raising concerns about a lack of nationwide oversight.

The British Health Safety Agency said the alert levels system could be reintroduced if necessary.

The country has been at level 2 since August 2022 – Covid is present in the UK, but cases and transmission are low.

It has reached level 5 – meaning transmission is high or increasing exponentially and there is a significant risk of NHS overload – only once every three years, since January 2021, when the UK was locked down for the third time due to the Alpha variant.

But the system never reached the lowest level on the scale, level 1, which means that Covid-19 is unknown in the UK, as scientists have now acknowledged that this state is unlikely to ever be reached.

The UKHSA said it would continue to monitor the virus through a range of surveillance systems, including those at the National Health Service and nursing homes.

Since 2021, public participation in the warning system has declined, according to a Whitehall source.

Stephen Riley, CEO of Data, Analytics and Surveillance at UKHSA, said: “The UKHSA will continue to track the latest Covid-19 epidemiology through our surveillance systems. If the direct risk of contracting the virus increases significantly, we, the chief medical officers and ministers, will continue to advise on alert systems.”

“The suspension of the UK’s Covid-19 Alert System reflects the transition to Living with Covid, which has been driven by the continued success of the immunization program and the availability of treatment for those who need it.”