British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday announced his government’s decision to lift all additional restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the omicron, including mandatory face mask wearing, from next Thursday after analysis showed that the new variant of COVID-19 was now exists most likely peaked in the country.
This means people in England will no longer be asked to work from home where possible, and mandatory COVID-19 vaccine certification required for large venues will also end.
The government will also no longer mandate the wearing of face masks anywhere, relying instead on the “judgment” of the public, while compulsory face masks in school classrooms are more likely to be phased out themselves starting this week.
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Johnson told the House of Commons that the most recent analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows Omicron has most likely now peaked in the country, allowing for a return to so-called Plan A or minimal COVID restrictions.
“Today’s latest ONS data clearly shows that infection numbers are falling in England and while there are some places where cases are likely to continue to rise, including in primary schools, our scientists think it’s likely that the Omicron wave has now peaked nationwide,” Johnson said.
“So this morning Cabinet concluded that because of the exceptional booster campaign, together with the way the public has reacted to Plan B measures, we are returning to Plan A in England and Plan B regulations can expire. The mandatory certification ends at the beginning of Thursday next week. Organizations can of course choose to use the NHS COVID passport voluntarily, but we will end the mandatory use of COVID status certification in England,” he said.
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He noted the continued “significant pressure” on the National Health Service (NHS), particularly in the North East and North West, but noted hospital admissions have now “stabilised, with admissions in London even declining”.
“In addition to staying low, ICU numbers are actually declining,” Johnson added.
England had moved to so-called Plan B measures on December 8, 2021, at the peak of the Omicron surge. Other decentralized parts of the UK are following roughly similar guidelines on COVID restrictions.
“Across the country, we will continue to suggest the use of face coverings in closed or crowded places, especially where you will come into contact with people you don’t normally meet. But we will trust the judgment of the British people and no longer criminalize anyone who chooses not to wear one,” Johnson said.
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“When we return to Plan A the House will know that some measures are still in place, including self-isolation measures. In particular, it is still a legal requirement for those who have tested positive for COVID to self-isolate,” he noted.
Since Monday, the self-isolation period has been reduced from seven to five days, with two negative rapid lateral flow tests required on days five and six. Johnson expressed hope that the time to lift the legal obligation to fully self-isolate by March is also upon us, “just as we don’t put a legal obligation on people to isolate themselves when they have the flu”.
“As COVID becomes endemic, we need to replace legal requirements with advice and guidance that urges people with the virus to be careful and considerate of others. The self-isolation rules expire on March 24 and I very much expect they will not be extended at that time,” he told MPs.
Johnson, who is fighting an internal rebellion over alleged Downing Street lockdown violations, tried to highlight his many achievements as Prime Minister. He hailed the NHS vaccination program as Britain’s “fastest booster program in Europe”, with more than 36 million booster shots now being delivered across the UK, including more than 90 per cent of all over 60s in England.
“This week the World Health Organization said that although the global situation remains challenging, the UK can begin to see ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, this is no accident of history. Faced with the nation’s greatest challenge since World War II and the worst pandemic since 1918, any government would get some things wrong, but this government got the big things right,” he concluded.
The latest official figures on COVID-19 recorded 94,432 infections on Tuesday, a number that has been on a downward trend for several days.
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