Boris Johnson announced the ending of all remaining coronavirus legal restrictions in England, but only after a fierce cabinet row broke out over the cost of future testing for the disease.
The UK prime minister was cheered by Conservative MPs after he announced that England was “moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility” in the way it dealt with the virus in future.
The legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive Covid-19 test will be scrapped from February 24. Free testing for the general public will end on April 1, although it will continue for the elderly and vulnerable, and social care staff who are symptomatic.