UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scrapping COVID mandates.
As of Thursday, students are no longer required to wear masks in classrooms.
On January 27, face masks will no longer be mandatory in any school or anywhere in England and vaccine passports will no longer be required to attend large events. The government will instead “recommend” face coverings in enclosed spaces but leave people with a choice on whether to wear them.
The government will also abandon its COVID pass requirement and no longer force people to present proof of vaccination to enter public venues.
“In the country at large, we will continue to suggest the use of face coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces, particularly when you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, but we will trust the judgment of the British people and no longer criminalize anyone who chooses not to wear one,” Johnson announced Wednesday as parliament rejoiced.
The British prime minister also rescinded the government’s work-from-home requirement which has been in effect since December 13. England will begin treating Covid like the flu, Johnson explained.
“There will soon come a time when we can remove the legal requirement to self-isolate altogether, just as we don’t place legal obligations on people to isolate if they have flu,” Johnson said. “As Covid becomes endemic, we will need to replace legal requirements with advice and guidance, urging people with the virus to be careful and considerate of others.”
The British head of state maintains Covid restrictions are no longer mandatory because government scientists claim the surge of infections prompted by the omicron variant “has now peaked nationally” and more than 90 percent of those over 60 in the UK have received at least three doses of the Covid vaccine or booster shot.