All the ‘Plan B’ restrictions announced and when they will take effect
The government says the measures are being introduced after it's become "increasingly clear that Omicron is growing much faster than the previous Delta variant."
He confirmed the move in a Downing Street news conference yesterday evening.
In response to and in a bid to curb the spread of the Omicron variant in England, the Prime Minister said in the news briefing yesterday – which he hosting alongside Professor Chris Whitty, and Sir Patrick Vallance – that it was now the “proportionate and responsible thing to move to Plan B”, adding that the reason for this being that it’s become “increasingly clear that Omicron is growing much faster than the previous Delta variant.”
Mr Johnson added: “We can’t yet assume that Omicron is less severe… and it could lead to a big to a big increase in hospitalisations and sadly deaths.”
The confirmation of the move to ‘Plan B’ comes after the Prime Minister has continued to deny that a Christmas party that broke COVID-19 restrictions took place at Downing Street last December, with many accusing the government of introducing
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He said in the conference that he “understands how infuriating it must be” to hear of rules being broken by the people who set them in the first place.
We are seeing growth in Omicron cases in the UK that mirrors the rapid increases seen in South Africa.
That is why it is now the proportionate and responsible thing to move to Plan B in England, to slow the spread of the virus.
‘Plan B’ was first referenced back in September when the government set out its plan for tackling coronavirus over the winter period, with a set of measures to prevent the NHS “coming under unsustainable pressure”.
But what exactly is Plan B? What are the new measures that are set to be introduced in England? And when do they take effect?
Here’s everything you need to know.
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What is ‘Plan B? ‘?
As mentioned, the government outlined a set of measures as part of its Autumn and Winter COVID plan that would be brought in “if the data suggests the NHS is likely to come under unsustainable pressure”.
Those measures are:
Guidance to work from home “if you can”.
The reintroduction of a legal requirement to wear face masks in “most public indoor venues”, including theatres and cinemas – with exceptions “where it’s not practical, including while eating, drinking, exercising or singing”.
NHS COVID passes for nightclubs, 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.
Daily testing for people identified as a contact of a COVID-19 case – with isolation required only for people who test positive.
Plan B was drawn up before the Omicron variant emerged, and only applies to England.
The measures are being introduced in a bid to curb the spread of the Omicron variant in England / Credit: Flickr
When do the measures come into force?
The government had already announced that as of 30 November, the wearing of face coverings would become a legal requirement in shops, banks, post offices, hairdressers, and on public transport in England – but from Friday 10 December, they will be mandatory in “most public indoor venues.”
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The reintroduction of the guidance to work from home “if you can” will take effect from Monday 13 December.
NHS Covid Passes will be introduced from Wednesday 15 November.
The measures will be debated in parliament next week, with a vote expected to take place on Tuesday 14 December.
How long will the measures be in place for?
The government says it will keep the data under “constant review”.
Just like it has been throughout the COVD-19 pandemic, there will be a review of the measures after three weeks, but these regulations are set to expire six weeks after implementation.
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Taken together, the government says it is “hopeful” these measures will reduce transmission and slow the spread of the Omicron variant, and will continue to urge those eligible to get their boosters jabs when called.
Featured Image – Unsplash | NHS
News
Huge bakery chain Gail’s confirms move to Prestwich – but spells village’s name wrong in signs
Daisy Jackson
After months of swirling rumours, bakery group Gail’s has finally confirmed it’s moving to Prestwich – but locals have spotted a glaring error at the first hurdle.
The popular artisan bakery will be moving onto Bury New Road, right in the heart of the suburb and directly opposite the new Rudy’s pizzeria.
Prestwich locals have been hearing whispers of a Gail’s arriving for a few months, and finally the London-founded cafe has stuck up signs to confirm it’s on the way.
But the sign contains one crucial mistake – it’s spelled Prestwich wrong.
The red window displays now read ‘Hello Preswich. We’ll be baking here soon’.
One local messaged Gail’s to point out the error and to say it’s ‘not a great first impression for the locals…’.
Gail’s has since confirmed it’s in the process of fixing the signs.
The arrival of both Gail’s and Rudy’s has already caused a stir in Prestwich, which has always been fiercely independent and has only a handful of chains within it (Greggs and Costa are perched by the tram stop).
In fact, one local business-owner shared a moving statement about his concerns for the future of local businesses just a few weeks ago.
Gail’s has confirmed it’s opening a bakery in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc Group
First formed in the early 1990s as a wholesale-only operation, Gail’s opened its first cafe on Hampstead High Street in 2005.
Today the brand has more than 100 sites spread across London, Oxford, Brighton and further afield, and is known more as a customer-facing cafe and bakery.
It’s famed for its freshly-baked loaves, cinnamon buns, ham and cheese croissants and coffees, and is likely to go down a storm in Prestwich.
But the signs have been causing a bit of a stir in the wrong way this weekend – in a local Facebook group, one person commented: “Not locals who own it then.”
Another described it as an ‘epic fail’.
And one person said: “Oh the DRAMA of it all.”
Someone else joked: “I cannot wait for Gais to come to Preswich.”
Met Office issues snow warnings for large parts of northern England from this evening
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester could be waking up to a winter wonderland as weather warnings for snow and ice have been issued across northern England.
Expected to arrive anywhere from 6pm this evening (18 November) and last until around 10am tomorrow morning (19 November), the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice for large parts of northern England – indicating that “snow may bring disruption to a central swathe of the UK during Monday night and Tuesday morning”.
Weather forecasters say that although most snow is likely to accumulate on higher ground, with five-10 cm on ground over 200 metres, and possibly 15-20 cm over 300 metres, there is a chance that snow may settle at lower levels “within the warning area”.
The Met Office also said that this possible five-10 cm at lower levels is likely to be “more disruptive”, particularly if travelling and if the snow coincides with rush hour, but the likelihood for that is still “uncertain” at this stage.
Greater Manchester could see snow from this evening as the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning / Credit: Geograph | Pexels
As the rain, sleet, and snow begin to clear on tomorrow morning, ice may form on surfaces that are untreated.
“We have issued yellow warnings for snow and ice as cold weather moves in from the north,” explained Andy Page, who is a Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office.
“This brings snow showers and some ice to parts of Scotland on Sunday night, and then the potential for a spell of snow to lead to disruption to some transport routes across a central swathe of the UK on Tuesday morning.”
⚠️ Yellow weather warning UPDATED ⚠️
Snow & ice across southern parts of Scotland, northern England, the Midlands and north Wales
In addition to the severe weather warnings, a Cold Health Alert has also been issued by the UKHSA, and it covers the north of England and the Midlands right through until Thursday.
Emily Sergeant -
9th December 2021 
