At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health restrictions including self-isolation
of positive cases and their close contacts were vital to reduce onward transmission
of SARS-CoV-2, thus preventing deaths and the potential overwhelming of health-care
services. However, the requirement for prolonged and often repeated episodes of self-isolation
has had an enormous impact on individuals psychological, financial, and educational
wellbeing, disproportionately affecting those on lower incomes, the self-employed,
and those unable to work from home.