In England, most of the restrictions imposed on Covid-19 will be lifted next week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.
People will no longer have to wear masks indoors, work from home and show proof of vaccination against Covid-19 to enter public places such as nightclubs, Johnson said in parliament.
The Prime Minister pointed out that thanks to the primary vaccination campaign, it is possible to return to Plan A in England by lifting the restrictions provided for in Plan B.
England switched to Plan B last month to curb the spread of the most contagious coronavirus omicron.
However, Johnson met with strong resistance in his party, with many Conservative colleagues considering Plan B’s restrictions excessive.
The easing of restrictions is seen as a concession by critics angry that Johnson himself and his staff have broken the quarantine rules at Downing Street.
“While there are some places where the number of cases is likely to continue to rise, including in primary schools, our scientists believe the wave of the omicron type is likely to have peaked in the country right now,” Johnson told parliament.
From Thursday, high school students will no longer have to wear masks, Johnson said.
Following the introduction of the omicron in the UK in early January, the number of Covid-19 cases registered per day reached a record 200,000, but has since fallen below 100,000 per day.
However, Johnson said the National Health Service was still under a lot of pressure across the country and urged people to go for a booster vaccine.
“We know that about 90% of people in intensive care have not received the vaccine,” Johnson said.
Contrary to the recommendations of several scientists, the Prime Minister decided in December not to introduce a quarantine regime and allowed the continuation of sports events in England with a limited number of spectators.
In Scotland and Wales, local governments banned large crowds at sporting events in December, but later lifted the rule.
Johnson decides on restrictions in England only. Restrictions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of regional governments.
Scotland said on Tuesday that it would ease other restrictions, including allowing nightclubs to reopen and that bars would no longer have to be served at tables. The recommendation not to meet more than three household members at indoor events will also be removed.
The Welsh Government has said that the decline in the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units means that it will reduce its anxiety rate from a second to zero in the coming weeks.
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