Face coverings no longer mandatory in classrooms in England
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Work from home measures have been scrapped and face coverings will no longer need to be worn in classrooms in England from today.
Commuters are set to travel to work for the first time since Plan B measures were introduced to slow the spread of Omicron.
Boris Johnson told MPs in the House of Commons that people would not be told to work from home “from now on” while the rules around face coverings in classrooms would be scrapped from Thursday.
The requirement to wear face masks on public transport and in shops will end next Thursday.
The Prime Minister also confirmed the intention to end self-isolation rules for people who catch coronavirus in the coming weeks. The legal requirement would lapse when regulations expire on 24 March, he said, but said the date could be brought forwards.
Mr Johnson said it was time to “trust the judgement” of the public on the use of masks in enclosed and crowded places after he said Omicron cases were falling and the wave had likely peaked nationally.
Earlier, in a statement to MPs in the House of Commons, the prime minister said:
Mandatory Covid passports for entering nightclubs and large events would end, though organisations could choose to use the NHS Covid pass if they wished
People would no longer be advised to work from home and should discuss their return to offices with employers
Face masks will no longer be mandated, though people are still advised to wear coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces and when meeting strangers
From Thursday, secondary school pupils will no longer have to wear face masks in classrooms and government guidance on their use in communal areas would be removed “shortly”
Further announcements on the easing of travel rules and restrictions on care home visits in England are expected in the coming days, Boris Johnson added.
Photo – Masks are displayed in a shop in the Tower Hamlet area of London, Britain. EPA-EFE/NEIL HALL
