"The Government no longer asking people to work from home" says Boris as England reverts to Plan A
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Boris Johnson has today announced that the Cabinet has concluded that England can return to Plan A and allow Plan B regulations to expire due to the "extraordinary booster campaign" and the way the public have responded to the Plan B measures.
As a result, from the start of Thursday next week mandatory certification will end.
The Prime Minister said: "Organisations can, of course, choose to use the NHS Covid Pass voluntarily but we will end the compulsory use of Covid status certification in England."
Speaking earlier today, Boris stated: "From now, the Government is no longer asking people to work from home and people should now speak to their employers about arrangements for returning to the office."
He also announced that having looked at the data carefully, the Cabinet concluded that once regulations lapse, the Government will no longer mandate the wearing of face masks anywhere.
Boris added: "From tomorrow, we will no longer require face masks in classrooms, and the Department for Education will shortly remove national guidance on their use in communal areas."
Despite removing mandatory face-covering requirements, the Prime Minister did say that in the country at large, they will continue to suggest the use of face coverings in enclosed or crowded places, particularly where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, but said the Government will trust the judgement of the British people and no longer criminalise anyone who chooses not to wear one.
The Government will also ease further restrictions on visits to care homes and confirmed that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will set out plans in the coming days.
As we return to Plan A, it's important to note that some measures still remain, including those on self-isolation. In particular, it is still a legal requirement for those who have tested positive for Covid to self-isolate.
On Monday the Government reduced the isolation period to five full days with two negative tests.
The self-isolation regulations expire on 24th March, at which point the Prime Minister said he very much expects not to renew them.
Boris concluded: "In advance of that, we will set out our long-term strategy for living with Covid-19, explaining how we hope and intend to protect our liberty and avoid restrictions in future by relying instead on medical advances – especially the vaccines which have already saved so many lives."
The news that many people will now return to working from their offices will no doubt be welcomed by the hospitality industry as well as others such as the taxi trade, which has been one of the hardest hit since the pandemic began.
Cabbies around England will be hoping for cities to flourish again with commuters, workers, shoppers and even tourists in the near future.
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