Everything you need to know about the government’s Plan B

‘Plan B’ rules will be put in place across England next week, affecting millions of people across the country.

Plan B is the moniker given to the next level of restrictions, which the government put together in the instance of a spike in coronavirus cases.

Here’s all you need to know about the new rules.

What Covid rules are changing under Plan B?

Plan A measures included the rollout of booster vaccines, the continuation of NHS Test and Trace, and encouraging regular Covid-19 tests.

However, in light of recent developments concerning Omicron, ministers have agreed that the time has come to implement Plan B.

The new measures include the following:

Vaccine passports

While ministers previously ditched proposals to introduce mandatory vaccine passports, the government held the idea ‘in reserve’.

They will be mandatory in a ‘limited number of settings, with specific characteristics’, including nightclubs and crowded indoor venues with more than 500 attendees.

This means you’ll either need to provide proof of your vaccine status or provide a negative test in order to enter these venues.

Vaccine passports have already been implemented in Scotland and Wales.

On Tuesday, Ms Sturgeon also encouraged people to take lateral flow tests before leaving the house, even just to go to the pub or pop to the shops.

Wearing face masks

Mandatory mask-wearing in shops and on public transport was dropped in England on July 19 – dubbed at the time as ‘Freedom Day’.

From Friday, December 10, face coverings must be worn in cinemas and theatres in England.

Announcing the changes, Boris Johnson said: ‘As always we must stress with a new variant there are many things that we just cannot know at this early stage.

Mr Johnson warned that the strain was spreading rapidly in the UK.

He said: ‘It has become increasingly clear that Omicron is growing much faster than the previous Delta variant and is spreading rapidly all around the world.

‘Most worryingly, there is evidence that the doubling time of Omicron could currently be between two and three days.’

‘But our scientists are learning more hour by hour and it does appear that Omicron spreads very rapidly and can be spread between people who are double vaccinated.