Pin Point Issue 2 - 'Safety First' - December 2021

Omicron: What are the new Covid rules for the UK?

The government has announced that England is moving to Plan B in response to the risks of the Omicron variant.

This means:

• Face coverings are required by law in most indoor settings.
  • Face coverings are compulsory in most indoor public venues, including theatres and cinemas - as well as on public transport and in places like shops and hairdressers. Masks won't be needed in pubs or restaurants, or venues like gyms where it's "not practical".
• Office workers who can work from home should do so.
• Lateral flow tests should be used before people enter "a high-risk setting", such as a crowded place, the government says.
• Anyone who's been in contact with a positive Covid case, and is fully vaccinated, now has to take LFTs for seven days.
• Certain venues and events will be required by law to check that all visitors aged 18 years or over are fully vaccinated, have proof of a negative test in the last 48 hours, or have an exemption

Other rules include:

• Pupils at secondary schools are "strongly advised" to wear face coverings in communal areas; as should staff and visitors at all schools and childcare settings.
• Anyone with Covid symptoms, or who tests positive, must self-isolate.
• Self-isolation for people who test positive or develop symptoms - or for unvaccinated people who are a contact of a Covid case.

Keep yourselves and others safe! For more information please visit: Coronavirus: how to stay safe and help prevent the spread - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)