UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday said that most restrictions deployed to fight the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in England would be lifted from 24th January 2022.
People will no longer have to wear masks in closed spaces, work from home and prove vaccination to enter public spaces such as nightclubs, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told parliament, attributing the changes to the success of a mass booster dose campaign. While cases soared to record highs, hospitalizations and deaths have not risen by the same extent due to the variant’s lesser severity.
“Because of the extraordinary booster campaign… we can return to Plan A in England and allow Plan B regulations to expire,” Johnson said. Moreover, Mr. Johnson told MPs: “While there are some places where cases are likely to continue rising, including in primary schools, our scientists believe it is likely that the omicron wave has now peaked nationally.”
The premier said his government hoped to lift the only remaining legal requirement, for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 to self-isolate for at least five days, before it lapses automatically in March.
