January 19, 2022
The government has announced that measures put in place under plan B in England will be lifted.
It will also ease further restrictions on visits to care homes and these plans will be set out in the coming days.
Self-isolation regulations expire on 24th March, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he expects not to renew them in a statement to the House of Commons.
What we know so far
England
27 January
- Venues and events will no longer be required by law to use the NHS COVID Pass. The NHS COVID Pass can still be used on a voluntary basis as was previously the case in Plan A
- Face coverings are no longer required by law in any setting. Public health guidance will remain in place, suggesting individuals should continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, where you may come into contact with people you do not normally meet
- The Department for Education will remove national guidance on the use of face coverings in communal areas, with local Directors of Public Health able to recommend the use of face coverings in education settings across their area only where the department and public health experts judge the measure to be proportionate due to specific health concerns. This is a temporary measure and Directors of Public Health continue to advise individual settings experiencing outbreaks
- Any local introduction of face coverings must be subject to routine review and removed at the earliest opportunity
20 January
- Staff and pupils in secondary schools and colleges will not be required to wear a face covering in classrooms.
19 January
- You are no longer asked to work from home if you can. Talk to your employer to agree arrangements to return to your workplace.
Source: DHSC