The government announced yesterday that further restrictions will be imposed to combat the spread of the more transmissible Omicron variant of Covid-19. It is hoped that slowing the spread of the virus will allow time for boosters to be administered to the eligible population.
These restrictions include:
From Friday 10th December 2021, face masks will be extended to most public spaces, including places of worship, theatres, live music venues and cinemas. There will be exemptions in venues where it is not practical to wear one, such as when eating, drinking, or exercising. For this reason, face masks will not be required in hospitality settings.
From Monday 13th December 2021, all employees should work from home where possible.
From Wednesday 15th December, vaccine passports will become mandatory for over 18s in crowded settings such as nightclubs, unseated venues of more than 500 indoors, unseated venues of over 4,000 outdoors, and any venue of more than 10,000. Two jabs (not a booster) are required for a Covid pass. A negative lateral flow test from the last 48 hours or a vaccine exemption will also be accepted.
Soon, those informed they have been in contact with someone with the omicron variant will be able to undergo daily testing instead of a 10-day isolation to minimise disruption.
Moving forwards, the four key factors which will be used to determine restriction levels are the efficacy of vaccines, the severity of omicron, the speed of spread, and the rate of hospitalisations.
This data will be monitored and reviewed continuously, and restrictions will be lowered when it is evident that the booster rollout can hold back omicron. The incoming restrictions will be reviewed after three weeks.
The full government guidance will be released in the coming days.
Non-governmental guidance which you may find useful when making changes to your workplaces can be found here:
- Working from home
- Example homeworking policy
- Tips for supporting yourself and your team
- Domestic abuse toolkit for employers
Please get in touch with the Chamber Policy Team on [email protected] if you have any queries or feedback on the changes.
Niamh Corcoran
Policy Advisor
Photo by Tai’s Captures on Unsplash