England’s Plan B measures are to end from next Thursday, with mandatory face coverings in public places and Covid passports both dropped, Boris Johnson has announced.
The prime minister also said the government would immediately drop its advice for people to work from home.
The PM said England was reverting to “Plan A” due to boosters and how people had followed Plan B measures.
He told MPs scientists believed the Omicron wave had peaked nationally.
At a Downing Street press conference, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “This is a moment we can all be proud of.
“It’s a reminder of what this country can accomplish when we all work together.”
He urged people to continue taking steps to keep the virus at bay, including hand washing, ventilating rooms and self-isolating if positive – and pressed those who were unvaccinated to come forward to get their jabs.
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.
The prime minister also said the government intended to end the legal requirement for people who test positive for Covid to self-isolate – and replace it with advice and guidance.
The current regulations around self-isolation expire on 24 March. Mr Johnson said he expected not to renew them then – and suggested that date could be brought forward if the data allows.