Voice of London

Tania Alasady.

New government guidance on Covid-19 urges anyone who experiences cold flu symptoms to stay at home but young Londoners have had enough.

Jennifer Cunningham’s says, “It’s too much at this point, I just want to enjoy life whilst I can”.

Ministers have advised people to stay indoors if they feel unwell or test positive for Covid-19 after restrictions were lifted.

On 24 February 2022 people were permitted to leave their house and go to work despite testing positive for Covid-19.

The legal requirement to isolate after testing positive was ended.

Now, those who test positive for the virus are advised to stay at home until they are better. However, those that need to leave will be advised to continue wearing masks and to avoid busy places to minimise contact with others.

Those who experience a high temperature, or a cough are instructed to stay home and avoid those with weakened immune systems.

Children are also instructed to avoid school until they have recovered from their symptoms.

Meanwhile, free testing will be scrapped for many from the 1^st of April.

Free testing will be available to the following:

• NHS staff who care for patients
• hospital patients who need PCRs before treatment
• care home residents
• people working in high-risk settings, including care homes and prisons
• patients who are discharged from hospital into care homes or hospices

In England, the percentage of people testing positive for (Covid -19) remained high in the week ending 2 April 2022; it is estimated that 4,141,600 people in England had COVID-19 according to data collected from the Office for National Statistics.

Despite cases rising to an all-time peak, it looks like brits are unfazed by the events.

With the reopening of nightclubs, football stadiums and festivals, brits are seen enjoying their freedom to the fullest.

I spoke to Jenifer Cunningham, a 22-year-old festival goer from surrey. She said, “it has been nearly 3 years since covid happened. Since the majority of us have been vaccinated, I no longer worry like I once did. It feels like a casual cold and it is something we are all going to have to get used to. The more I hear about Covid, the more exasperated I feel.

Mark Jones from Bedford also commented saying, “I have accepted covid for what it is, and I am tired of hearing about it. I honestly am not fazed by it; it is old news for me.

However, this is not the same for everyone, there are many struggling to cope with the effects that covid has had on them and family.

Lucy Brenan from Hertfordshire say, “I am still grieving over my father’s death which resulted from covid 19, I don’t think I can ever get over this.”

Lucy’s story shows that although we have been told to lean to “live with the virus” by government and medical authorities, it is not the whole story as there are many struggling to cope with the effects that Covid has had on their lives and those of their loved ones.