In light of the new Omicron variant, Boris Johnson announced today that Face coverings will become mandatory again in shops and public transport from next week.
Some might say waiting until next week is too little too late, however in the press briefing today, Boris has said that Christmas would be "Considerably better" than it was in 2020 and that the measures of mandatory face coverings were "temporary and precautionary"
The hospitality sector will be unaffected by the re-introduction of face masks. We spoke to Becky this evening, a local resident in Prestwich and she said "So you can boogie at the Christmas party on the dance floor without a mask, but meeting Doris on the aisle in Tesco will require a face covering".
Travel bans and restrictions are also being imposed on southern African countries in the new effort to contain and reduce the spread of the new variant.
Under the new plans, anyone travelling will need to:
- Take a PCR test by the second day of being back in the country and self-isolate until you receive the negative result.
- Any suspected Omicron cases will require self-isolation even if the individual is fully jabbed.
Professor Chris Whitty, the UK's chief medical officer has said that there was a "reasonable chance" that the existing vaccines could be less effective against the new variant but did stress those who are vaccinated or have received their booster have a lower chance of becoming seriously ill.
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