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Health Secretary Sajid Javid expects almost all Covid restrictions to be lifted by the end of the month because ‘the data is moving in the right direction’.
Covid passports and work-from-home guidance for England are expected to be lifted on January 26 – with an announcement likely within days.
The legal requirement to wear facemasks in indoor settings such as shops and public transport is likely to remain. ‘Even as one of the most cautious members of the Cabinet on Covid, Sajid thinks we are on our way out of the worst of the crisis,’ said a source.
With the latest wave receding in most areas, modelling presented to scientific advisers on Sage suggests that continued curbs will make little difference to the level of hospital admissions.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid is preparing to announce the end of Plan B restrictions after the latest Covid-19 data showed that the Omicron variant is less dangerous than Delta
Covid-19 cases across the UK have fallen by 44 per cent over the past week according to new data
The growing optimism came as:
81,713 Covid cases were reported yesterday, down almost a third week-on-week. There were 287 deaths – up 45 per cent on a week ago but down from 398 on Wednesday – while daily Covid-related hospital admissions have plateaued at just under 2,500; In an article for The Mail on Sunday, Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting today indicates that Labour has softened its approach to restrictions, writing: ‘I don’t want to see our country in lockdown ever again’; Three NHS hospital trusts – Morecambe Bay and Blackpool and Great Western in Swindon – have been stood down from ‘critical incident’ status, although others, including in Greater Manchester and Norfolk, remain on high alert; The booster campaign is
