All the major Covid rule changes THIS WEEK as Plan B scrapped

MAJOR Covid rule changes are coming in this week as Plan B is fully scrapped.

Restrictions that came back in last year have slowly been ebbing away - with working from home rules stopped last week.

Travel tests have also changed, with fully vaccinated people only required to take a lateral flow within two days of returning.

Changes are also coming to vaccine passports and mask wearing rules, as Brits return to a more normal pre-Covid life.

There is also talk of tests for people arriving into the UK being scrapped all together soon, but this has not been confirmed.

And isolation rules are set to expire on March 24 - or sooner - meaning people who test positive for Covid are not legally obliged to isolate.

Boris Johnson told the Commons last week cases and hospitalisations are falling and "our scientists believe it is likely the Omicron wave has now peaked nationally".

He declared: "Because of the extraordinary booster campaign, together with the way the public have responded to the Plan B measures, we can return to Plan A in England and allow Plan B regulations to expire.

"We will set out our long-term strategy for living with Covid 19, explaining how we hope and intend to protect our liberty and avoid restrictions in future by relying instead on medical advances – especially the vaccines which have already saved so many lives. 

"But to make that possible, we must all remain cautious during these last weeks of winter."

What changes are coming this week?

FACE MASKS

The PM announced that rules on wearing masks in public places in England are also being ditched from midnight on Wednesday.

But Brits have been advised to continue wearing them in busy areas or on public transport.

He had been widely expected to keep face covering guidance in place until cases of Omicron further subsided.

Currently, people have to cover up on public transport and in shops, post offices, banks, beauty salons, hairdressers, theatres and cinemas.

Rules requiring kids to wear masks in classrooms have already been ripped up, with wider guidance advising pupils and teachers to wear coverings in communal areas will going from Thursday.

VACCINE PASSPORTS

Brits will no longer have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter large venues like football grounds and nightclubs.

All domestic use of vaccine passports is being dropped from next Thursday morning in a move that will please many Tory MPs.

Mr Johnson faced a huge Commons rebellion when the measure was introduced last month and only got it through thanks to Labour.

The current restrictions cover indoor events of more than 500 people and outdoor arenas hosting more than 4,000.

At the time the Government justified jabs papers by saying they were "preferable to closing venues entirely or re-imposing social distancing".

CARE HOMES

Restrictions on visitors to care homes are being eased this week.

Currently Government guidance says every care home resident can nominate up to three visitors who will be able to enter the care home for regular visits.

Visits should be arranged with care homes in advance and a negative test result should be reported by the visitor ahead of the visit.

But this is expected to be relaxed, to allow residents to have more visitors.

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Currently everyone who tests positive for the virus must quarantine at home for at least five full days - and this is NOT changing.

If you return two negative lateral flow swabs on days five and six you can then leave isolation early.

Fully vaccinated Brits who come into contact with an infected person should test daily but don't have to isolate so long as they remain negative.

Meanwhile unvaccinated people who are close contacts of Covid sufferers must go into quarantine for 10 days.

There are fines of up to £10,000 for flouting the laws.

It could be scrapped in March however, if cases remain low and no more severe variants emerged.