Omicron restrictions to be lifted across UK

The majority of Plan B restrictions will be lifted across England, Scotland and Wales over the next two weeks, according to recent government announcements. 

England

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in parliament yesterday (19 January) that restrictions across England will be removed next week. This means guidance instructing people to work from home where possible will come to an end, providing a much-needed boost for restaurants, cafés and other hospitality venues which took a financial hit due to the lack of consumer footfall and lunchtime trade. 

"This morning, the cabinet concluded that, thanks to the booster campaign together with how the public have responded, we can allow Plan B regulations to expire," Johnson told ministers.

"From now on, the governent is no longer asking people to work from home and people should speak to their employers about returning to the office."

The government will also remove the legal requirement for people to wear masks in public spaces, also eliminating 'Covid-passport' regulations from 27 January. 

On the announcement, Alan Thomas, CEO at Simply Business, comments: "Many small business owners across the UK will be breathing a sigh of relief following the announcement that Plan B restrictions will lapse next week. Small businesses are still in recovery mode, and almost half are still suffering financially from the worst of the pandemic, which cost owners a staggering £126.6bn in total.

"Lifting the work from home guidance will undoubtedly benefit independent traders in city and town centres – particularly those in the hospitality industry, who experienced mass cancellations as Omicron spread, and have suffered disproportionately in recent times," adds Thomas.

“Let’s hope this is another positive step for small businesses in the road to recovery.”

Scotland

Measures implemented by the Scottish government to slow the spread of the Covid Omicron variant will also be lifted from 5am on Monday 24 January. 

Restaurant, pub and bar operators across the country will no longer have to enforce one metre physical distancing rules in their venues, while table service in such settings will no longer be required. 

Nightclubs will be allowed to reopen and, while the Covid certification scheme will not be extended at this stage, the Scottish government has said that regulations will be updated to ensure venues cannot avoid the scheme by putting tables on dancefloors while still allowing dancing. 

The guidance to keep social interaction at home and in indoor public spaces to a maximum of three households will also be removed, but the public are being asked to be cautious and limit contact where possible, in addition to taking lateral flow tests prior to meeting people from other households. 

The requirement to collect customer details in hospitality settings and use face coverings in public spaces will remain in place.

Wales

Following the announcement of Wales moving to alert level 0 – meaning trasmission rates are low enough to abolish the majority of restrictions – from Friday (21 January), Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford has confirmed that most of the regulations implemented in response to Omicron will be phased out over the next two weeks.

Drakeford said that since Omicron cases have fallen so "rapidly", rules can now "gradually" be relaxed.

The removal of restrictions will take place in four phases, the first of which took effect last Saturday (15 January), seeing attendance levels for outdoor events rise from 50 to 500. 

Phase two begins tomorrow (21 Janaury), allowing crowds to return to sporting events and removing limits on attendance for outdoor events.

Phase three launches next week (28 January), when nightclubs will be able to reopen and hospitality venues will be permitted to operate as normal, though Covid passes will still be required for large events, as well as for cinemas, nightclubs and theatres. This phase will also see the removal of rules requiring people to work from home. 

The final phase comes on Thursday 10 February, where Wales will return to a three-week review process of current measures. 

"The actions we have take together have helped us to weather the Omicron storm. The latest data suggests some positive signs that the peak may have passed," Drakeford said in a press conference last week.

"We can now look more confidently to the future and plan to start gradually removing the alert level two restrictions, starting with the outdoor measures.

"But the pandemic is not over," warned the first minister. "We will closely monitor the public health situation – this is a fast-moving and volatile variant, which could change suddenly. I urge everyone to continue to follow the rules and have your vaccines to keep Wales safe."

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