Boris Johnson has announced that England will return to ‘Plan A’ as the country continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Plan B measures aimed at tackling the spread of Covid-19 are to be dropped across the country.

Boris Johnson told MPs in the House of Commons more than 90% of over-60s across the UK have now had booster vaccines to protect them, and scientists believed the Omicron wave has peaked.

What is Boris Johnson’s Covid Plan A?

Plan A is essentially the removal of all Plan B restrictions introduced by the government.

People will no longer be told to work from home and, from Thursday next week when Plan B measures lapse, mandatory Covid passes will end, Mr Johnson said.

The legal requirement for people with coronavirus to self-isolate will also be allowed to lapse when the regulations expire on March 24, and that date could be brought forward.

When it comes to face masks, the Government will no longer make people wear them anywhere from next Thursday and they will be scrapped in classrooms from this Thursday, with school communal areas to follow.

The PM told Commons: "We resisted calls from others to shut down our country all over again.

"This government took a different path. We supported businesses that faced a reduce demand.

"The data is showing that time and again this Government got the tough decisions right.

"Cases are falling in England. Our scientists think it is likely the Omicron wave has now peaked nationally.

"Hospital admissions which were doubling every nine days have now stabilised, with admissions in places falling.

"This morning, the Cabinet decided that we can return to Plan A in England.

"As a result, mandatory certification will end. Organisations can choose to use in voluntarily, but it will not be compulsory.

"We are no longer asking people to work from home.

"The Cabinet concluded that once regulations lapse, the Government will no longer mandate the wearing of face maks anywhere.

"From tomorrow, we will no longer require face masks in classrooms."

Self-isolation rules could soon be scrapped all together

Mr Johnson signalled his intention to start treating Covid-19 more like flu, saying: “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.

“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.”

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