- In the news conference at 6pm on 8 December 2021, the PM announced that there would be a move to the ‘Plan B restrictions’ in England to slow the spread of the Omicron strain of Covid-19.
- There are 568 confirmed Omicron cases in the UK but the true number is much higher.
- The doubling time for the Omicron variant is 2 to 3 days.
- The Plan B restrictions are as follows:-
- The re-introduction of working from home if possible from Monday 13th December.
- Face masks to be mandatory in most indoor venues from Friday 10th December. These include theatres and cinemas, although they will not be required when it is not practical – such as when people are eating, drinking, exercising or singing.
- The NHS COVID pass will also be required for entry into nightclubs and venues where large groups of people gather. These are unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people, and any venue with more than 10,000 people. This latest measure will be introduced in a week’s time, therefore, from Wednesday 15th December.
- The PM also announced that close contacts of someone with the Omicron variant will move to daily testing rather than a need to self-isolate.
- The PM added that decisions will now be guided by four key data points:-
- The efficacy of vaccines and boosters;
- The severity of Omicron;
- The speed of its spread;
- The number of hospital admissions.
- The PM’s full statement is here:- PM opening statement at COVID-19 press conference: 8 December 2021
- The link to the slides used at the press conference is here – Slides to accompany coronavirus press conference: 8 December 2021
- COVID-19 Response: Autumn and Winter Plan 2021 published on 9 November contains the details of Plan B.
General Guidance
The general coronavirus guidance starts here:-
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
