Work-from-home guidance to be scrapped next week, says PM
Work-from-home guidance is to be scrapped next week, after Boris Johnson announced the lifting of Plan B pandemic restrictions in England.
The prime minister said people will no longer be told to work from home from Thursday 27 January, and mandatory mask-wearing and Covid passports to enter certain venues will also end.
Johnson told the Commons cases were falling and that the Omicron variant wave had likely peaked across the country, meaning rules could be relaxed. “From now on, the government is no longer asking people to work from home,” he said.
Work-from-home guidance is to be scrapped next week, after Boris Johnson announced the lifting of Plan B pandemic restrictions in England.
The prime minister said people will no longer be told to work from home from Thursday 27 January, and mandatory mask-wearing and Covid passports to enter certain venues will also end.
Johnson told the Commons cases were falling and that the Omicron variant wave had likely peaked across the country, meaning rules could be relaxed. “From now on, the government is no longer asking people to work from home,” he said.
“People should now speak to their employers about arrangements for returning to the office, and having looked at the data carefully, the Cabinet concluded that once regulations lapse, the government will no longer mandate the wearing of face masks anywhere.”
He added that it was time to “trust the judgement” of the general public on using masks in closed and crowded spaces.
England has been operating under Plan B restrictions since December, when the new variant of Covid-19 began spreading at pace.
The announcement will come as a relief to retail and office landlords, after city centres saw lower-than-expected footfall throughout the important December trading period as a result of people working from home.
Jace Tyrrell, chief executive at the New West End Company, said: “The lifting of restrictions next week is welcome news for the high street as it looks to bounce back from the hardship of the last two years.
“With office employees set to return to London’s West End, retailers, bars and restaurants will be looking ahead to a promising year.
“With the support of returning shoppers and government, we are confident that the West End can achieve £7.5bn of turnover this year as it continues on the long road to recovery.”
Muniya Barua, managing director of strategy and policy at London First, added: “The impact of restrictions was so stark for many firms in the run up to Christmas and beyond, so support should continue and be extended to longer-term business rates relief and VAT reductions to help those hit hardest.”
Catherine McGuinness, policy chair of the City of London Corporation, said: “Before Christmas, the Omicron variant cast a dark shadow over the Square Mile’s recovery.
“The signs are now much more promising. We look forward to welcoming City workers back to their offices as soon as possible.”
Citing the latest infection study by the Office for National Statistics, Johnson said data showed infection levels were falling in England. While cases are likely to continue rising in some places, scientists believe “it is likely that the Omicron wave has now peaked nationally”, he told MPs.
The prime minister added that the government would set out its long-term strategy for living with coronavirus and how it plans to avoid bringing in restrictions in the future.
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