Fantastic news! Following evidence of falling infection levels, the Government today announced that Covid Plan B measures are to be lifted. This means that from next Thursday the government will no longer mandate the wearing of face masks anywhere, and mandatory covid passes will end. I am particularly delighted that masks will no longer be required in secondary school classrooms, and the Department for Education will be removing guidance for their use in communal areas shortly.
The announcement also set out that from today, the Government is no longer advising people to work from home, and restrictions on visiting care homes will lift, with further details to be set out shortly.
Some measures do still remain, such as the requirement to self-isolate is you test positive for covid. However these rules expire on 24th March and the Prime Minister made clear his intention to end this legal requirement at, if not before, that date.
While people are still encouraged to use caution and wear face masks in crowded settings, such as on public transport, these measures return up to personal choice and responsibility and are a significant step towards learning to live well with the virus.
