Masks and face coverings will no longer be mandatory in England from Thursday 27 January, the Government has confirmed. However, guidance on close contact services, including hair salons, is yet to be updated.
Prime minister Boris Johnson made the announcement today (Wednesday 19 January) that outlined the changes and stated that the 'Below are the changes to the restrictions that are currently under the 'Plan B' Coronavirus guidance:
- The end of mandatory Covid passes in England, with businesses allowed to use them if they wish. There will still be a legal requirement to self-isolate if you do test positive for Covid
- Mandatory face masks will end, including in classrooms for secondary students and on public transport
- The end of working from home guidance
- Restrictions on care homes will be ease
Self isolation guidance
The self-isolation guidance is still in place and is a legal requirement until the regulation expires on 24 March. The Government is not expected to renew the guidance beyond this date. The prime minister added during his announcement that he would like to bring the date forward if the data supports it and would seek a vote in the Commons.Health secretary Sajid Javid will be holding a briefing in Downing Street at 5pm today alongside Dr Susan Hopkins from the UK Health Security Agency. According to the BBC, it is expected that this will detail the prime minister's plans to lift the Coronavirus restrictions.