"We should be clear that the pandemic is not over," Boris Johnson said last night, while giving the clear impression to anyone listening that he considers it is.
The prime minister was speaking at a news conference after announcing the lifting of all Covid restrictions in England, as well as the end of free mass testing from April.
The most startling aspect of the government's 'living with Covid' plan is the relaxation of the requirement to self-isolate after a positive test.
From Thursday, the legal duty is downgraded to advice to stay at home for at least five days, but from April 1 - April Fool's Day - those with symptoms will be asked only "to exercise personal responsibility, just as we encourage people who may have flu to be considerate to others".
Tellingly, Mr Johnson was unable to confirm that he would voluntarily quarantine in this scenario, saying only that he would “exercise restraint and responsibility”.
The news will be cause for considerable anxiety for those who are most vulnerable to coronavirus, including immunocompromised people for whom infection remains potentially fatal.
With self-isolation support payments coming to an end, some low-paid workers will also be faced with the terrible dilemma of continuing to work with Covid symptoms, running the risk of infecting others, or staying at home and not being paid.
There is no doubt that vaccines have been hugely effective in reducing severe illness from the virus and the Omicron variant has turned out to be less dangerous than initially feared.
The government also has a duty to weigh up whether the colossal cost of mass testing remains justified.
However, it is impossible to avoid the impression that Mr Johnson's desperation to shore up his position following the partygate scandal means he is moving quicker than is advisable.
And the concern is that if money is no longer available centrally for testing, devolved governments may be forced to follow suit.
The prime minister's appeal for people to take personal responsibility, while under police investigation for disregarding his own strict lockdown rules, would be laughable were it not so serious.
Chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance injected a dose of reality yesterday when he warned that further variants are expected – and could be prove severe than Omicron.
But having effectively told people to treat Covid like any other virus going forward, the risk is that it will be very difficult to step back again.
