The 'young and vulnerable' dreading the end of isolation, masks and free testing

Boris Johnson has signalled a new phase in the pandemic.

The possible early lifting of restrictions this month could mean ‘freedom’ for thousands of families across the country.

No more five-day isolation after a positive test, an end to mask-wearing and even the winding-down of free testing may, for many, be a welcome prospect after two years of compromise and sacrifice.

But vulnerable people living in Greater Manchester fear that this new era of 'living with Covid', amid continued high transmission of Omicron and the removal of a legal safety net to stay home from work when sick, will actually curtail their freedoms and limit their choices.

READ MORE: What does Greater Manchester's public health leader think about plans to scrap Covid isolation?

Among them is Amy Somers, 37, who suffers from the autoimmune condition Lupus.

Amy, from Chorlton, lives with fatigue, joint pain, brain fog and problems with her kidneys and takes immunosuppressants along with steroids and other supplements, to stop her body attacking itself.

Despite having been quadruple-jabbed, Amy still feels like 'normal life' is a ‘gamble’ for those more vulnerable to serious illness.

With plans afoot to start charging £30 for lateral flows, she worries about how less well-off vulnerable people, already facing a rising cost of living and energy bills, will afford them, and what that means for Covid transmission in the population.

Amy, whose ill health forced her to quit her job working for the BBC as a camera assistant, is also concerned that when people no longer have a legal obligation to self-isolate, her trips to the shops will become far riskier to her health.

“I feel anxious. I want to live my life and see friends, it’s been two years," she said.