Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020 Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department of Health and Social Care
Lord Rooker
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Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020
Lord Rooker Excerpts(3 years, 6 months ago)
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Lord Rooker (Lab) [V]
My Lords, the message was “clarity”; that is a joke. There are no less than five ways to calculate the period of time for self-isolation in the regulations: at Regulation 3(3)(a), Regulation 3(3)(b), Regulation 3(4)(a)i, Regulation 3(4)(a)ii and Regulation 3(4)(b). Who makes the calculation? If you slip up, potentially more than once, as the Minister indicated, there could be a fine of up to £10,000. This is completely unacceptable.
Why is there no mention of exercise as a reason for leaving the place of self-isolation? Exercise is a requirement to maintain physical and mental health. You cannot just isolate away if there is no prospect of exercise at all. Are the BMA and SAGE fully on board with this aspect of the regulations?
I do not accept that the police should be involved in the first place. Environmental health officers are perfectly capable and would have more trust in the locality if they were tasked with this role. In effect, the Government are starting to lose the trust of the people. I repeat: who makes the calculation of the time period for self-isolation?