Johnson wants us to take personal responsibility for Covid – but England is left exposed | Christina Pagel

The living with Covid' strategy fails to provide testing, or address the impact of future variants, long Covid and inequality

On Monday the government announced its living with Covid" strategy, including a phasing-out of free access to rapid lateral flow tests, reduced access to the more accurate PCR tests for most of those with symptoms, an end to legal requirements to self-isolate and an end to financial support for those on low incomes needing to self-isolate.

Announcing the changes, which will come into force on Thursday, Boris Johnson said the time to compel" people was over. Now people will be asked to exercise personal responsibility" to look after each other, he said.

Christina Pagel is director of UCL's Clinical Operational Research Unit, which applies advanced analytical methods to problems in healthcare