Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will implement measures to ensure convalescent covid-19 positive travellers are not disadvantaged by the Government's covid-19 travel testing requirements; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Maggie Throup
While the United Kingdom does not recognise natural immunity for international travel at this time, it is being kept under review. The presence of antibodies does not guarantee that an individual is not capable of infection and transmitting the virus, therefore individuals who have been previously infected may still put others at risk.
The strength of the protective immune response to COVID-19 varies greatly from person to person. Although it is likely that an individual will be protected from severe disease or death for a period post-recovery from first infection, the duration of this protection will vary and the ability for these individuals to still transmit the virus has not yet been quantified.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will add teachers to the list of essential workers who are exempt from self-isolation on contact with someone testing positive for the covid-19 omicron variant.
Answered by Maggie Throup
All individuals notified by NHS Test and Trace or a public health official that they are a close contact of someone confirmed or suspected to have the COVID-19 Omicron variant are legally required to self-isolate, regardless of their age, vaccination status, negative test result or worker status. This change came into force on 30 November 2021.
There are currently no exemptions to this requirement, including for essential workers.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits prioritising teachers aged under 40 who work at specialist SEND schools for booster covid-19 vaccines.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Frontline social care workers who provide care closely and regularly to those adults and children who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19, including those who work face to face with clinically vulnerable children are eligible for priority booster vaccinations. This includes teachers who work at special educational needs and disabilities schools.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to require unvaccinated UK citizens returning from abroad to take two PCR tests as an alternative to the ten day quarantine.
Answered by Maggie Throup
There are no plans to do so at present, although we continue to keep all policies under review.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to lay regulations to rescind Schedules 21 and 22 of the Coronavirus Act 2020.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Following the third six-month review of the Coronavirus Act 2020 in September 2021, the Government proposed that a number of provisions, including section 51 (Schedule 21) and section 52 (Schedule 22) be expired early, in line with the commitment to ensure only powers deemed necessary and proportionate remain in force. Expiry regulations were laid on 27 October.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out the conditions that must be reached for him to stop the operation of NHS Test and Trace.
Answered by Maggie Throup
NHS Test and Trace remains critical to our plan for managing the virus in the autumn and winter. We continue to keep all elements of our COVID-19 response under review, taking into account the latest scientific and medical advice.