Normal life only with the presentation of the “freedom pass”. The new plan of the British government

Britain will end another lockdown on December 2, but at the beginning of the week Prime Minister Johnson announced new rules for the functioning of society in the time of the pandemic. They will be valid until March 2021. The most original idea is the so-called Freedom passes to be issued to citizens who test negative for coronavirus twice in a week.

1. The «Freedom Pass» in electronic form will be a kind of application for smartphones
2. The pass will renew automatically after further negative results of the SARS-CoV-2 virus test
3. Low sensitivity test strips were chosen for mass testing of the British
4. From December 2, the so-called rule of six
5. You can find more up-to-date information on the TvoiLokony home page

How do I get a pass to normal?

Mass testing will be carried out in areas where the highest number of active infections is recorded. And those who fail twice will be exempt from some restrictions. And so they will have the opportunity to meet friends who will also have a double negative test result. Pursuant to the new regulations, “freedom passes”, which provide for less severe restrictions on liberties, will apply in areas with the highest degree of restrictions. The system is currently under development, but it is already known that most likely the passes will be in the form of electronic documents or smartphone applications. The pass will automatically renew based on negative results from subsequent tests. It will probably also be equipped with a QR code, which will have to be scanned in order to gain access to e.g. a supermarket or to pass through a gate at work.

An additional incentive to perform regular tests is to receive, along with the pass, the exemption from wearing a mask in public places.

The British government relies on test strips

Rapid test strips that give a result within 20 minutes but are much less accurate than PCR tests are expected to be used for mass testing of citizens.

According to the British Medical Journal, the sensitivity of rapid tests is 76,8% (the accuracy of tests performed independently is even lower – 58%). This means around 23 out of 100 infected people may test negative, even though they will actually be COVID-19. So if they are given a “freedom pass”, they will contaminate the rest of society.

Over 200 people have already been tested with the help of quick tests. Liverpool residents and, according to Johnson, “these studies contributed to a significant drop in infection”. The prime minister encouraged other cities and regions to get involved in the research, as it would give them a chance to ease the restrictions.

However, the government’s idea was criticized. Experts say that the detection rate of the test is too low, which precludes the safe “release” of people with a negative result.

– With this type of tests, even half of the cases remain undetected – says prof. Jon Deeks, biostatistician at the University of Birmingham. – A negative result indicates a reduced risk of infection but does not rule out COVID-19.

And for the program to work, you would need to run millions of tests a day.

And what awaits the unexplored Brits?

In all three zones, the “Rule of Six” will apply to assemblies. This means that the largest meeting can be composed of six people. In the first zone, with the mildest restrictions, the “rule of six” will apply both indoors and outdoors. People who do not run common households will also be able to meet indoors. In the second and third zones, such meetings will be allowed only outside, and people from different households will not be able to stay in the same room.

The ideas of the prime minister are supported by, among others former UK Health Minister Jeremy Hunt, who is opting for next year’s Easter as a return date to normal.

See also:

1. Poland has the highest rate of positive COVID-19 tests in the world
2. Sweden: when will the infection peak?
3. How is Iceland dealing with the COVID-19 epidemic? Tests, isolation, contact tracing
4. I will buy a negative coronavirus test! The black market for counterfeit test results is booming

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