This week Boris Johnson announced that the measures put in place under Plan B in England will be lifted. The lifting of measures makes showing Covid passes at venues and events, and wearing face coverings, optional from the 27th January. The changes also lift the guidance to work from home. Find out more below:
England will be moving back to Plan A. This means:
- The UK Government is no longer asking people to work from home if they can. People should now talk to their employers to agree arrangements to return to the office.
- From 27 January: There is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face covering. The government suggests that people continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where they may come into contact with other people they do not normally meet.
- From 27 January: Venues and events will no longer be required by law to check visitors’ NHS COVID Pass. The NHS COVID Pass can still be used on a voluntary basis.
- From 20 January: Face coverings will no longer be advised for staff and pupils in secondary school and college classrooms. Also from 27 January: Face coverings will no longer be advised for staff and pupils in communal areas of secondary schools, nor for staff in communal areas of primaries.
Some measures still remain, including those on self-isolation. It is still a legal requirement for those who have tested positive for Covid to self-isolate. The self-isolation regulations expire on 24 March; it is not expected that they will be renewed.
Ahead of 24 March the UK Government will set out its long-term strategy for living with COVID-19.
Further information on the changes will be available soon on this page – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do
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