LATEST OMICRON COVID RULES AND WHAT THEY MEAN
FACEMASKS
Face coverings are now compulsory in shops and other settings such as banks, post offices and hairdressers, as well as on public transport unless individuals are exempt from doing so.. They are not compulsory in pubs and restaurants. Masks are also being recommended in England’s schools. Staff and pupils in Year 7 and above have been “strongly advised” to cover their faces in communal areas outside classrooms from Monday, said Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi.
TESTING
Guidance has recently changed from at home lateral flow testing twice a week to testing before going into crowded spaces or spending time with those at greater risk from Covid.
TRAVEL
All passengers arriving will be required to take a PCR test by the end of their second day from entry and isolate until they receive a negative test, regardless of vaccination status. There are now 10 countries on the Government red list for travel, which means arrivals from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia will have to quarantine for 10 days. Arrivals from those locations must stay in a quarantine hotel for 10 days at a cost of £2,285 for solo travellers.
WORKING FROM HOME
For now, the new rules fall short of reintroducing working from home restrictions. Employees are still encouraged to take a phased
approach to return to work.
Health secretary Sajid Javid insisted on Sunday it was “nowhere near” time to reintroduce social distancing rules and work-from-home guidance. On Monday, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said it was up to employers to decide on the “right balance” for them when it came to whether staff worked from home or the office.
On whether employers were still being encouraged to get people back into the office, the spokesman told reporters: “Our position… has not altered from what it was previously.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?
An urgent meeting of G7 health ministers was convened to discuss Omicron - members issued a joint statement committing to continue to share information and monitor Omicron. Ministers committed to meeting again in December.
Recommendations to alter the vaccination booster programme to allow more adults to be eligible sooner have been set out. In summary, it means:
■■Booster jabs will be offered to all over 18s
■■Gap between second dose and booster reduced from six to three months
■■Severely immunocompromised people will be offered a fourth dose of a vaccine
■■Children aged 12 to 15 also invited for second dose three months after first
■■Booster will be Pfizer-Biontech or Moderna as these generate a very strong immune response
WHAT ABOUT PLAN B MEASURES?
In September, the Health Secretary announced Plan B measures which could come into force if the NHS came under “unsustainable pressure” in England. These include:
■■Introducing mandatory Covid passports
■■Compulsory face coverings
■■Advising people to work from home
■■communicating clearly and urgently to the public that the level of risk has increased, and the need to behave more cautiously
Stricter rules along these lines are currently in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but have not been put in place in England.
The Government has repeatedly said it has no plans for another lockdown.