A Co Tyrone-based GP has said the time has come to learn to live with Covid-19.
Dr Brendan O’Hare was speaking after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that those who test positive for coronavirus will no longer be legally required to isolate from Thursday, and free universal testing will end on April 1 in England.
There are concerns that Mr Johnson could withdraw funding for free lateral flow tests in Northern Ireland after scrapping them in England.
Stormont insiders fear they may have to find the money.
A Health Department source said: “All general public testing here is currently provided by London.”
Critics also claim charging for them during a cost of living crisis is “crazy”.
Health Minister Robin Swann has said his department will "carefully consider" the Living with Covid plan unveiled in England.
Under the strategy, those who receive a positive Covid-19 test will still be advised to stay at home for at least five days, but will not be obliged to in law under the plans subject to parliamentary approval.
Mr Swann has said no decisions have been taken on any changes to test and trace here.
"My department continues to keep all aspects of the Covid-19 test and trace programme in Northern Ireland under review to ensure it remains proportionate and effective," Mr Swann said.
Dr O'Hare is manager of Western Rural Healthcare, which has over 16,000 patients at its practices in Ederney in Co Fermanagh and across Tyrone.
He told Belfast Live : "At some stage we have to move beyond Covid, we really do. Our experience at the minute is that whilst we are aware of a significant number of cases of Covid among our patients, no-one is sick.
"We are not seeing significant numbers in hospital and no-one in intensive care.
"I'm hopeful that we are entering the final phase of our pandemic and while it's a political judgement on when we scale back on testing, personally and given what I'm seeing, I wouldn't be unhappy if they do.
"If our Health Minister chooses to make that decision very shortly, he won't be hearing me as a dissenting voice."
"We're just not seeing the level of serious disease amongst our patients that warrants the type of restrictions being imposed," Dr O'Hare added.
"We're hearing about people who have Covid but there is no requirement to see them as they aren't deteriorating. We're suffering more with staff members who are off isolating, which is impacting on our ability to be able to provide a service.
"Those staff who are off aren't sick either but they are unable to attend their place of work and there is a limit to what can be achieved by working from home."
"The time has come to learn to live with Covid and while I understand that there are people out there who will be nervous about that, we have to move beyond this," he said.
The Department of Health announced on Monday that a further Covid-19 booster vaccine is to be offered to all those aged 75 and over in Northern Ireland.
Around 155,000 people will be eligible for the booster jab, with the roll-out expected to begin in April.
The additional jab will also be offered to anyone over the age of 12 who is immunosuppressed.
The head of Northern Ireland's vaccination programme, Patricia Donnelly, has said mass vaccine centres will not be needed for the next roll-out of the Covid jab.
Ms Donnelly said health officials in Northern Ireland expect the roll-out to be extended to over-50s in the autumn but no decision has yet been made.
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