All Covid restrictions in England ‘to be scrapped within days’

All current Covid restrictions in place across England are to be scrapped ‘within days’, new reports are suggesting.

The Plan B restrictions – which include the use of face masks in all shops, schools and on public transport, a work from home order for businesses and the controversial Covid passports – are to be reviewed in nine days time on January 26th.

However, a senior government official has now claimed that instead of being reviewed, all of the measures currently in place under the plan will be lifted.

Speaking anonymously to the Sunday Express, the government source said that Health Secretary Sajid Javid ‘feels confident’ about the decision because of the falling number of cases and growing evidence that Omicron is not as dangerous as other variants.

They added: “Sajid is sure now that the restrictions will not go beyond the sunset clause date.”

However, the Express also reports that the move could be Boris Johnson’s way of staying in power after he was allegedly told by senior Conservative backbenchers that he would face a leadership vote of confidence if he tried to bring in more restrictions.

101 Conservative MPs reportedly opposed the current restrictions in a Commons rebellion just before Christmas.

LBC

Though this won’t be the first change in Covid policy experienced this year; just last week, the health secretary reduced the self-isolation period for those who test positive with Covid from seven days to five.

From today, January 17th, those who are fully vaccinated and test positive can leave self-isolation if they test negative on days five and six – the original self-isolation period was ten days.

Javid revealed the decision in a Commons statement to MPs last week, citing data from the UK Health Security Agency and saying: “Two-thirds of positive cases are no longer infectious by the end of day five.”