The vast majority of Plan B restrictions have officially ended in England from today.
The restrictions were first introduced back in December 2021 in a bid to curb the spread of the Omicron variant, but as infection rates, case numbers, and hospitalisation figures were seen to be decreasing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that England would make the move back to ‘Plan A’ this week.
He claimed it’s time to “trust the judgement” of the British public, and said the government would set out its long-term strategy for “living with COVID”.
From today, the wearing of face masks on public transport, in supermarket and retail settings, in communal areas of schools, and “most public indoor venues” will not be required, and you’ll also no longer need to show your NHS COVID Pass at venues and events by law.
The easing of all Plan B restrictions comes after guidance to work from home, and the requirement to wear a face covering in classrooms, ended in England last week.
According to the government, as of today, the lifting of Plan B means:
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Mandatory COVID-19 certification will end, but venues may choose to use the ‘NHS COVID Pass’ voluntarily.
Face coverings will not be required by law in indoor venues.
Local directors of public health are still able to recommend face coverings in communal areas – only in education settings – within their area, but only where the department and public health experts judge the measures to be proportionate.
Face coverings must still be worn in health and care settings, including primary care and pharmacies.
It is still a legal requirement for those with COVID-19 to self-isolate for 10 days with the option to end self-isolation after 5 full days following two negative Lateral Flow tests.
Plan B measures have been lifted following the success of the booster programme.
From today:
▶️ face coverings are no longer mandatory indoors ▶️ NHS COVID Passes are voluntary for large events
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) January 27, 2022
When it comes to the wearing of face coverings, the government says it is still recommending they are worn in “crowded and indoor spaces where you may come into contact with people you do not normally meet”.
Some companies and services, however, are continuing to ask people to wear masks.
Face coverings will still be mandatory on Transport for London (TfGM) services, and supermarkets Sainsbury’s and Waitrose will be also be asking staff and shoppers to continue wearing masks in stores.
Speaking on the lifting of Plan B restrictions today, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The tireless efforts of NHS and care staff, and the army of volunteers, as well as the phenomenal response of the British public means over 37 million people have been boosted and I want to thank everyone who has come forward.
“Our vaccines, testing and antivirals ensure we have some of the strongest defences in Europe and are allowing us to cautiously return to Plan A, restoring more freedoms to this country.
“But as we learn to live with COVID, we need to be clear eyed that this virus is not going away so if you haven’t already.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that England would make the move back to ‘Plan A’ this week / Credit: Unsplash
A number of senior medics have criticised the decision to lift Plan B resrictions.
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Dr Chaand Nagpaul – Chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) Council – said scrapping the measures at such a fast pace “risks creating a false sense of security” while the NHS is still under crippling pressure.
He said the decision to move to Plan A was “not guided by the data”.
Matthew Taylor – Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation – said: “We will have greater freedoms, but the cost – at least in the short term – will be that more people are likely to get sick with COVID and that the health service will continue to have to deal with the extra burdens that this creates.”
The legal requirement for people with COVID-19 to self-isolate is due to expire on 24 March, but that date could be brought forward.
Featured Image – Flickr | gov.uk
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Greater Manchester officially launches five-year climate change action plan
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has officially begun its five-year climate change action plan, with the overarching goal of becoming a net-zero city region by 2038.
The comprehensive pledge put together over a number of years itself will see Manchester City Council and the nearby local authorities put into action a number of key measures that will help to reduce not only central carbon figures but, eventually, across the 10 boroughs in turn.
Over the last 15 years, emissions have been reduced by approximately 64%, saving an estimated 44,344 tonnes of carbon through cleaner building energy, street lighting and other electronics, as well as the increasingly green and over-growing Bee Network.
They have also insisted that it isn’t just about cutting down on greenhouse gases; the aim is to make the city region and the surrounding areas more sustainable, affordable and create a better standard of life.
Our five-year plan to tackle climate change launches today. 🌏
It details how we’ll continue to deliver dramatic reductions in the amount of carbon we emit (the biggest contributor to climate change). 🏙️
As per the summary on the Council website, in addition to creating more efficient homes, they’re hoping to provide more access to nature and good-quality green space, “public transport you can rely on”, and “better health and wellbeing for those who live, work, study and visit here.”
With a steadily recovering local and national economy (touch wood), they’re also hoping for an influx of new jobs, too.
Summarising the key bullet points leading up to the end of the decade, these are the next steps currently outlined by the Council:
Lower carbon emissions
Grow the use of renewable energy
Improve low-carbon travel in the city
Improve air quality
Grow the city’s natural environment and boost biodiversity
Improve resilience to flooding and extreme heat
Engage and involve our workforce and our city’s communities
Reduce waste and grow reuse, repair, sharing and recycling
Support a move to a more circular economy
Minimise the negative impact of events held in the city
Develop our knowledge of our indirect emissions and lower them
Create a green financing strategy and explore new funding models for the city
Influence the environmental practices of other organisations
As for emissions, the target is now to drop the present output by another 34%, which will prevent almost 43,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from being pumped into the atmosphere.
Having touched upon the continued expansion of the Bee Network infrastructure, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is also set to install multiple new travel links over the coming years, including both new tram stops and train stations – further
You can read the climate action plan in full HERE.
Manchester’s firework displays are ‘back with a bang’ as they return from 2026
Emily Sergeant
Council-organised firework displays in Manchester’s parks are set to return from next year, it has been confirmed.
You may remember that these once-popular events have not been held since 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic initially prevented them from taking place from 2020 onwards, and then following that, they remained paused on a trial basis while the Manchester City Council sought to ‘reprioritise funding’ to support a wider range of free community events across the city.
But now, as it seems, the door was never shut on their potential return.
An ‘improved financial position’ now means that the Council is in a position to bring firework events back, while also still continuing to support other community events.
Papers setting out the Council’s financial position show that fairer funding being introduced by the Government next year will leave the Council better off than previously anticipated, he the reason firework displays have been brought back into the mix.
The Council has admitted that ‘pressures remain’ after so many years of financial cuts, but this new funding creates the opportunity to invest in the things residents have said matter the most to them.
“Manchester prides itself on free community events and we know many people have missed Bonfire night firework spectaculars,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council.
“That’s why we are pleased to confirm they’ll be back by popular demand in 2026.
“We know that generations of Mancunians have enjoyed Council-organised displays and that free family events are a great way to bring people together… [and] now that this Government is actually investing in Councils like ours rather than the cuts we had since 2010, we can bring back Bonfire events.”
The Manc -
27th January 2022 
