British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that Plan B restrictions are to be stood down, which will see the end of mandatory mask-wearing in England once again.
Employees will also be permitted to return to the office for the first time since December.
Plan B restrictions introduced in the UK before Christmas amid a steep rise in Omicron cases are set to be lifted by the end of this month, Boris Johnson confirmed.
To curb the spread of the new variant, wearing masks in shops, schools and on public transport became compulsory.
Today, Boris Johnson told the House of Commons that a mask mandate would no longer be in play in England.
He said: “Having looked at the data carefully, the Cabinet concluded that once regulations lapse, the government will no longer mandate the wearing of face masks anywhere.”
“From tomorrow, we will no longer require face masks in classrooms and the Department for Education will shortly remove national guidance on their use in communal areas.
“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 judgement of the British people and no longer criminalise anyone who chooses not to wear one.”
The move comes as figures from the Office of National Statistics published today said that the percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 has decreased in England, Wales and Scotland in the last week. Northern Ireland saw an increase.
Currently, 1 in 20 people in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have Covid, while 1 in 25 in Wales do.
As part of the change to restrictions, employees can return to working in the office from January 26.
The use of Covid passports for large venues will be cut from this date too.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is still facing pressure to resign over revelations about a number of alleged parties in Downing Street during the height of lockdown restrictions.
At home, Cabinet is meeting today to discuss the situation with Covid-19 in Ireland.
The 8pm curfew for pubs and restaurants is one of the major measures expected to be eased in the next week.
