The health secretary, Sajid Javid, has confirmed that anyone who is fully vaccinated won't have to self-isolate if they come into close contact with someone who is Covid-19 positive, starting from mid August.
Speaking to MPs today, he said that people in England would be able to approach the rules differently from the 16th August, if they are protected by the vaccine.
He added that, because most under 18s are not being offered vaccines yet, they will not have to isolate so that they don't miss out on "life experiences".
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The health secretary told MPs: "Anyone who's a close contact of a positive case will no longer have to self isolate if they have been fully vaccinated."
He added that to qualify, the second dose must have been given at least two weeks prior.
"If someone gets their second dose just before or just after the 16th they'll need to wait two weeks after which the second job can take effect, and give them these new freedoms," he said.
"I understand that some people are cautious about their idea of easing restrictions, but we must balance the risks - the risks of a virus that has diminished but not defeated, against the risks of keeping these restrictions and the health, social and economic hardship that we know they bring.
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"This pandemic is far from over and we will continue to proceed with caution. But we're increasingly confident that our plan is working and that we can soon begin a new chapter based on the foundations of personal responsibility and common sense rather than the blunt instrument of rules and regulations."
Currently, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive must - by law - isolate for 10 days.
It's expected that while isolation will be scrapped, those who test positive must take rapid coronavirus tests each day for 10 days, to ensure they have not contracted the virus.
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The health secretary added that anyone who has tested positive would need to isolate as normal, regardless of a double jab.
Featured Image Credit: PA