The community of Marlborough has been sharing their views after Boris Johnson announced the lifting of all Covid restrictions.

The legal requirement to self-isolate upon a positive Covid test is ending on Thursday, February 24. 

And free universal testing will also end in April under the new plan for “living with Covid”.

We spoke to people living and working in the town of Marlborough to find out how they felt about the situation.

Mum-of-three Amy Willsher believes that after two years of varied restrictions, now is the time to move forward, and is happy to follow the government’s advice.

She said: “I do think we can just come out of it and be normal now. I feel absolutely fine with the rules on self-isolation being lifted.

“I think so many people have got it now, and aren’t testing. So they’re just out there anyway. It’s been two years. I’m sort of done. I’m happy with everything being lifted.”

Meanwhile, 24-year-old Kristina Colden, who has become used to life being dictated by lockdown restrictions, believes that it is going to take some getting used to, as people re-adopt a sense of normality.

Still she feels that now is not the right time to take away the current guidelines.

She said: “It’s a bad idea, I know that. The idea of not having to self-isolate seems unreal.

"It’s got to that point now where we have been so used to lockdowns and rules it’s crazy to think of everyone just being able to be free even if they test positive.”

Hayley Lambert, aged 39 was hesitant about the changing rules, and was concerned that the government may be moving things along too quickly.

She said: “It’s maybe a bit too soon to be saying don’t isolate at all. It will be interesting to see what they do about bringing that forward because initially, it seems a bit much considering the case numbers are still quite high.

“It seems like a big leap. We do need to get to a point where people can decide for themselves, but I don’t know if that time is now.

“Personally, because I work in a shop which does have quite a few older customers coming in who are quite cautious, I don’t feel it would be the right thing for me to come in if I tested positive,” she said.