The end of the curbs as we know them?

The UK’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, announced last week that he aimed to abolish all Covid regulations, including the requirement to isolate after testing positive, in England from 24 February. Here’s what experts around the world think of that plan, which would make England something of an outlier when it comes to coronavirus precautions.

France

According to Arnaud Fontanet, a senior epidemiologist at the Pasteur Institute and a member of the government’s scientific advisory council, France is unlikely to follow England in abandoning all coronavirus measures before late March or early April.

Fontanet said measures such as mask wearing, home working and quarantine remained vital in order to slow the number of infections and keep hospital admissions down. “Quite small changes in behaviour can really influence the dynamic. Reducing contacts now by just 20% – a bit of home working, wearing masks – will halve the number