Islanders will no longer have to wear face masks or work from home as of next Thursday and the requirement to self-isolate could be dropped in less than 10 weeks’ time, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced.
With Omicron proving not to be as serious as first feared, the Government has decided to take a massive step forward in returning to normal life.
It has been confirmed that not only will the requirement to wear face masks be lifted from next week (26th January), but so will the need to work from home – paving the way for employees to head back to the office. The controversial vaccine passport scheme will also be dropped.
Schoolchildren will no longer have to wear masks in classrooms from tomorrow (Thursday 20th) and they will be scrapped entirely in schools – and everywhere else – from the 26th.
The end of the pandemic and restricted life appears to be in sight as Boris Johnson has strongly suggested that the legal requirement to self isolate if you test positive for COVID-19 will cease to exist from 24th March, with a possibility that the key date could be brought forward. It means that life can return to normal without staffing disruptions, continuous testing and the fear of COVID.
The Prime Minister has said:
“The Cabinet concluded that because of the extraordinary booster campaign, together with the way the public have responded to the Plan B measures, we can return to Plan A in England, and allow Plan B regulations to expire.”
Brits are still being asked to consider using face coverings in cramped or crowded spaces, but there will be no legally enforced requirement to do so – although it remains to be seen if businesses and organisations will make up their own rules.
Further news around restrictions on care home visits, which will be eased further, is expected in the coming days. There has been no word on the requirement to wear face masks within medical settings though. Currently, St Mary’s Hospital requires visitors and patients to wear masks and provide a negative lateral flow test.
A staggering 90.7% of the UK’s population aged 12+ are now vaccinated against COVID-19 with 1 dose, 83.4% with 2 doses and 63.6% with 3 doses.
If it’s coming to an end, does that mean they will not Sack unvaccinated
NHS staff on 1st April 2022
So far Boris is sticking to sacking them as per his responses to commons today, does feel like the wrong move
Thank god for that…. End the madness!
Well done Boris, now does this mean that as from next Thursday ALL doctors will be back at work and we will at long last be able to get an appointment without having to complete a stupid e-consult?
Hooray does this mean that the endangered species ie GPs are to come out of their hiding places and return to the medical centres where they should have been for the past 2 years
They are on too much money to get up!
They need a Booster
Many of them on their return will be closer to their retirement
Let’s hope the Council get their act together and take down all the random signage and floor markings relating to the pandemic. People don’t want to be reminded any longer and it’s adding to the depression of some who want to get on with their lives.
I agree we have to live with this virus. But common sense SHOULD prevail. Face coverings/masks in crowded public places do work and do stop infection. I work in a supermarket. The caring, considerate amongst us wear a mask for our entire shift. I hope the public using shops and public transport understand the importance of masks?!?!?!?
There has not been ANY evidence to support masks being effective against Covid. You certainly haven’t read any. Let’s stop this hysteria. People are waking up.
It’s common sense – why do surgeons wear masks when operating on people? Do you think they just do it for fun or to protect themselves? No, they do it so they don’t expose the patients internal organs to infection. It’s literally basic middle school biology. Then again the state of education is so bad in this country that I’m not surprised you have trouble with such basic concepts. If this is you when you’re awake, please, just go back to bed XD
There’s loads of scientific evidence that facemasks stop transmission of water droplets, which carry the virus. Scientific evidence that is, not University of Google ‘evidence’
I personally will continue to wear face masks when shopping, this is still in force until next Thursday and I do not wish to be knocked back with an influx of viruses and bugs as I feel the face mask has contributed to limited infection with the good old common cold or flu virus. We do not know what health issues workers and members of public have and should respect their wish to continue wearing face masks, I fully support Sunshine’s comments, I survived covid but alas managed to be diagnosed with Cancer so my already impaired immune system is even more so but I am not going to wear a label telling all in sundry my health issues.
johnson is only doing this to try to deflect the criticism about his parties at No 10, the epidemic is not over just look at the numbers on this site each day.
Well I suppose he needs to do something to try and get the masses forget about “partygate”.
I might add that at least we will have a temporary reprieve from the madness, even if all it is is a distraction technique. Don’t be fooled though, normal madness will resume once people are hailing him a hero for giving us a bit of normality back and forgotten about ministers behaviour.
Ahh the doom-mongers in the media will be displeased.