Despite scientists' warnings, some European countries are abolishing all Covid restrictions.

• The three Scandinavian countries, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, have removed Covid restrictions as they consider reclassifying the virus as a disease that does not pose a threat to society.
• The U.K. government aims to repeal the law mandating self-isolation for individuals who test positive.
• The WHO's top official cautioned against surrendering or declaring victory, stating that it is premature for governments to make such decisions.

Despite the WHO's advice to "protect their people using every tool in the toolkit," several European countries are abolishing Covid regulations.

On Wednesday, Sweden removed most of its remaining Covid-19 restrictions, following the example of Denmark and Norway.

Boris Johnson, the U.K. Prime Minister, announced plans to end self-isolation rules for individuals who test positive for Covid earlier than anticipated.

This week, Sweden lifted social distancing requirements, allowed the use of vaccine passports, and increased the limit on the number of people gathering in one place. On Wednesday, free testing in the country ended, and the government is considering reclassifying Covid as a disease that is "not a danger to society or a threat to public health" from April 1.

Last week, the Swedish government announced that it believed the situation was "stable enough to start lifting infection control measures."

The fight against Covid-19 is best aided by vaccination, which is the most crucial weapon, it stated.

According to Johns Hopkins University, 73% of Sweden's population is fully vaccinated.

‘Have a little more patience’

Professor Fredrik Elgh of Umea University's virology department advised Reuters that Sweden should exercise more patience and wait for at least two additional weeks before lifting restrictions.

We have the financial resources to continue testing," he contended. "The illness remains a significant burden on society.

Despite lifting all Covid restrictions on Feb. 1, Denmark recorded record highs in infections just a day later.

In January, the Danish government announced that Covid-19 would no longer be classified as a socially critical disease.

According to JHU data, over 80% of Denmark's population has received complete vaccination against the virus.

‘Vaccines offering protection’

On Feb. 1, Norway lifted several Covid-19 measures, but retained its advice to maintain a 1-meter distance from others and a mask requirement when necessary.

Despite the increasing number of Covid-19 cases, fewer individuals are being hospitalized, as stated by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. He added that vaccines are providing good protection, allowing for the removal of many measures, although the infection rate is rising rapidly.

On Tuesday, JHU data revealed that Norway experienced its highest number of new cases with 26,109.

This week, Johnson announced in Parliament that his government intends to abolish the legal obligation for individuals with Covid to self-isolate at the end of the month in the UK.

Individuals who test positive for the virus can end their isolation after five days if they test negative on days five and six. The remaining restrictions in England, including mask mandates, were lifted at the end of January.

On Wednesday, the U.K. recorded 68,214 new cases of Covid-19.

On Wednesday, while Sweden, Norway, and Denmark recorded 114, 45, and 21 deaths respectively from the virus, the U.K. recorded 276.

‘Creating a diversion’

The number of cases and deaths in Britain have significantly decreased since their peak in January 2021.

Although the number of Covid cases in the U.K. has decreased since vaccines were introduced, other factors, such as the prevalence of long Covid, remain a concern. A recent study in England revealed that up to one in seven children who contracted the virus developed long Covid, which refers to ongoing symptoms.

Official data reveals that 85% of the U.K.'s eligible population, aged 12 and above, have received two doses of vaccination in Britain, while two-thirds have had a booster shot.

Most people would not be pleased with the U.K. government's decision on isolation laws, according to Devi Sridhar, professor and chair of global public health at Edinburgh University Medical School, who spoke to Sky News on Thursday.

Isolation is the process of preventing the spread of an infectious virus from one person to another," she stated. "However, I believe it is too early to implement such measures. Our current system allows individuals who test negative on the fifth and sixth day to leave isolation. Changing this policy now, with over 200 deaths occurring daily, seems unnecessary.

The investigation has put Johnson's leadership under scrutiny after it was discovered that he and several government departments violated Covid rules by hosting and attending parties during lockdowns. Despite calls for resignation from some members of his own Conservative party, Johnson has refused to step down.

On Thursday, Sky was informed by Sridhar that she believed the UK government's plans to lift isolation rules were driven by politics rather than scientific evidence.

The prime minister's problems are being overshadowed by the creation of headlines and a shift in dialogue towards discussing the end of the pandemic, according to her.

The Clinical Operational Research Unit director at University College London, Christina Pagel, stated that the U.K. government's plan to abolish isolation rules lacked scientific basis.

The government plans that we will all get Covid several times, like a cold, but with a much more dangerous disease, as isolation drops, boosters wane, and Covid continues to evolve, making it harder to know about local case levels, she tweeted on Wednesday.

A recent poll of 4,451 British adults by YouGov found that 75% of participants believed isolation rules should remain in place for the time being. About half of the respondents said people should be legally required to self-isolate after testing positive for Covid, while more than a quarter said the isolation law should remain in place for the next few months.

Only 17% of survey participants believe that individuals in the U.K. should no longer be legally mandated to self-isolate after testing positive for the virus.

Too soon to surrender

The highly transmissible omicron variant has led to a "very worrying increase in deaths" across most regions of the world, according to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Feb. 1.

He stated at a press conference that more transmission leads to more deaths. He emphasized that they are not advocating for any country to revert to a lockdown. However, they are urging all countries to safeguard their citizens using all available tools, not just vaccines.

Tedros stated that it is too early for any country to yield or claim victory.