Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday 19 January that Plan B Covid restrictions introduced to combat the omicron wave will end in England, while the legal requirement for people to self-isolate will be abolished by March 24 at the latest.

       The announcement means that working from home guidance has been dropped and that a requirement to wear face masks and the use of Covid passports in some settings will no longer be in place from Thursday 27 January.

       The Government introduced additional restrictions in December 2021 in response to rising omicron cases and concerns the NHS could be overwhelmed.

       However, Mr Johnson told MPs in the House of Commons on Jan 19 that more than 90 per cent of over-60s across the UK have now had booster vaccines to protect them, and scientists believed the omicron wave has peaked.

       Office for National Statistics (ONS) data show Covid infection levels have now fallen in most parts of the UK for the first time since early December.

       "Today's latest ONS data show clearly that infection levels are falling in England and while there are some places where cases are likely to continue rising, including in primary schools, our scientists believe it is likely that the omicron wave has now peaked nationally," he told the House of Commons.

       "There remain, of course, significant pressures on the NHS across our country... but hospital admissions which were doubling every nine days just two weeks ago have now stabilised, with admissions in London even falling. The numbers in intensive care not only remain low but are actually also falling."

       Mr Johnson continued: "So, this morning, the Cabinet concluded that because of the extraordinary booster campaign, together with the way the public have responded to the Plan B measures, we can return to Plan A in England and allow Plan B regulations to expire."

       The Prime Minister insisted that omicron is "not a mild disease for everyone", including the unvaccinated, and advised people to continue washing their hands, letting fresh air in, testing and self-isolating if positive.

       Below is the updated guidance:

       Face masks

       Masks will no longer be mandated “anywhere” in England from Thursday 27 January, Boris Johnson told the Commons.

       Face coverings will no longer be required by law in any settings, including shops and on public transport, although guidance will suggest masks should still be considered in enclosed and crowded spaces.

       "In the country at large we will continue to suggest the use of face coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces, particularly when you come into contact with people you don't normally meet - but we will trust the judgement of the British people and no longer criminalise anyone who chooses not to wear one,” Mr Johnson said.

       Will face masks be mandatory on public transport?

       Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, urged the Government to “rethink their plans” to remove the mask mandate and confirmed they would remain a requirement on Transport for London services.

       “I'm asking everyone in our capital to do the right thing and continue to wear a face covering when travelling on TfL services to keep us all protected and to prevent further restrictions from being necessary later down the line,” he said.

       His decision has been met with backlash from many who have taken to social media to express their rejection of the idea of mandatory mask wearing on TfL services.

       While some welcomed the continuation of face masks on public transport in London from Jan 27, it is expected that many will refuse to wear a face covering.

       Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association agrees with the Mayor of London, stating that "Sadiq Khan is spot on when he says face coverings should remain beyond the end of Plan B, especially given the rates of infection we are still seeing."

       Schools

       Since pupils returned to school after the Christmas holidays, those in Year 7 and above were asked to wear face masks in classrooms - after ministers drew up contingency plans to keep schools open amid fears of widespread teacher absences.

       As of Thursday 20 January, however, neither staff nor pupils will be required to wear face masks in classrooms, with the Department for Education updating its guidance accordingly.

       From January 27, pupils, staff and visitors in communal areas will no longer have to wear masks in communal areas.

       However, Unions have accused the Prime Minister of flouting his “duty of care” to both teachers and pupils as they warned that "huge disruption" continues in schools.

       Dr Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: "Rather than announcements aimed at saving Boris Johnson’s job, [the] Government should be exercising a duty of care to the nation’s pupils and the staff who educate them."

       Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, added: "There is a danger that we are heading once again for a situation in which the Government gives the impression that the crisis is over when in actual fact there is huge disruption continuing to take place in education and it is very far from being a case of business as normal.”

       However, Mike Hobday, the director of campaigns at the National Deaf Children's Society, said the rule change would be a “huge relief” to England’s 45,000 deaf children.

       Self-isolation

       Boris Johnson confirmed the intention to end the legal requirement to self-isolate in the coming weeks.

       He told MPs: "As we return to Plan A, the House will know 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 we reduced the isolation period to five full days with two negative tests, and there will soon come a time when we can remove the legal requirement to self-isolate altogether, just as we don't place legal obligations on people to isolate if they have flu."

       "As Covid becomes endemic, we will need to replace legal requirements with advice and guidance, urging people with the virus to be careful and considerate of others.

       "The self-isolation regulations expire on March 24, at which point I very much expect not to renew them. Indeed, were the data to allow, I'd like to seek a vote in this House to bring that date forward."

       Mr Johnson also said restrictions on visits to care homes will be eased further, with Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, setting out plans "in the coming days".

       Work from home

       Work from home guidance was lifted immediately following Mr Johnson’s announcement and he encouraged employees to speak to their company about returning to the office.

       Companies welcomed the change and called it “great news” for small businesses and city centres.

       Kevin Ellis, the chairman and senior partner at PwC, said: “After the last lockdown restrictions were lifted, it took us two months to get back to 80 per cent capacity. We’re expecting a faster bounce back now - people know the drill.”

       Matthew Fell, the CBI's chief policy director, said there is a “vital need now for greater consistency” in how the country lives with the virus moving forward. “Swinging back and forth between restrictions and normality has been damaging,” he said.

       Unions said employers must consult with staff about working arrangements and carry out “proper risk assessments”.

       TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Ministers must fix our broken sick pay system once and for all. The Government is asking people to return to their workplaces but is offering them little or no financial support if they become ill."

       Travel tests

       Travellers may soon need to be boosted to be considered fully vaccinated for travel, Mr Johnson suggested.

       Responding to a question from Theresa May, the former prime minister, he said the Government was “certainly reviewing the testing arrangements for travel”.

       "I think it’s very important that everybody in the country understands that getting your booster, wherever you want to go in the world, getting your booster is going to be a pretty crucial thing to do,” he added.

       Downing Street later defended the decision not to immediately end post-arrival tests.

       The Prime Minister's official spokesman said "at this point in the pandemic" it was important to maintain "that extra layer of surveillance" to watch out for the emergence of new variants.

       "We will review the rules by the end of January," the spokesman said.

       He continued: "Our expectation is that the vast majority of countries in the world will expect people to be boosted for entry into their country and so it's vitally important that everyone understands that if you do want to travel this summer, you almost certainly will need to have been boosted."

       Vaccine passports

       Nightclubs and other venues will no longer require a Covid vaccine passport for entry from midnight on January 27, although some may continue to ask for one on a voluntary basis.

       Under Plan B measures, proof of double vaccination or a negative lateral flow test was required for indoor unseated events with 500 or more attendees, unseated outdoor events with 4,000 or more people and any event with 10,000 or more attendees.

       Kate Nicholls, the CEO of UKHospitality, said the rule change was a “hugely welcome step”.

       “Certification had deterred customers from spontaneous visits and severely limited trade. We would now urge the devolved administrations to begin removing these and other conditions at the earliest opportunity,” she said.

       Covid passes will remain in Wales for larger events.

       'Remaining cautious'

       The Prime Minister said the Government would set out its "long-term strategy for living with Covid-19", adding: "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.

       "But to make that possible we must all remain cautious during these last weeks of winter. There are still over 16,000 people in hospital in England alone. The pandemic is not over."

       What are the current rules in Wales?

       On January 14, Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister, said the Covid restrictions in Wales were "necessary and effective", as he outlined his Government's own plan to ease measures.

       Rules on outdoor gatherings in Wales were eased from January 15, while all outdoor activities will move to alert level zero from January 21 and restrictions on indoor activities will ease from January 28.