The government announced on the 19 January 2022 that England will fully return to Plan A on Thursday 27 January (plan B had been introduced on 8 December 2021, following the rapid spread of the Omicron variant).
The Changes Are As Follows:
From Thursday 20 January face coverings are no longer be advised in classrooms for both staff and pupils.
From Thursday 27 January:
- venues and events will no longer be required by law to use the NHS COVID Pass. The NHS COVID Pass can still be used on a voluntary basis as was previously the case in Plan A
- face coverings are no longer required by law in any setting. Public health guidance will remain in place, suggesting individuals should continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, where you may come into contact with people you do not normally meet
- the Department for Education will remove national guidance on the use of face coverings in communal areas, with local directors of public health able to recommend the use of face coverings in education settings across their area only where the department and public health experts judge the measure to be proportionate due to specific health concerns. This is a temporary measure and directors of public health continue to advise individual settings experiencing outbreaks
- any local introduction of face coverings must be subject to routine review and removed at the earliest opportunity
