COVID-19: What are the coronavirus rules that come into force in England today? | UK news

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Today, new measures designed to deal with the emergence of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron have come into effect in England.

They were announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the weekend amid concerns that the new alternative may be less responsive to vaccines and more contagious.

In England it is now mandatory to wear a mask in shops, public transport, hairdressers, post offices and banks, unless you are exempt.

The rule does not apply to bars, restaurants and any other hospitality venues.

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0:27 Health Minister Edward Argar said cases of Omicron will rise across the UK in the lead-up to Christmas.

On Monday, the government was asked why it had not decided to make masks mandatory in bars and restaurants.

A spokesperson said: “We believe this is a calculated and proportionate approach based on the evidence we have so far.

“It seems likely but not certain that this variant is more transmissible than the previous variants, but we don’t have any conclusive evidence and in fact no one has any strong evidence that it affects things like hospitalization, mortality, and individuals who are vaccinated.”

“So, we believe this is a proportionate approach to take in the current circumstances.”

People who break the rules face a £200 fine.

The Ministry of Education has also advised that university students and employees wear face coverings in public places, while secondary schools are advised to wear face coverings.

Compulsory PCR tests are back for those arriving in the UK from abroad and travelers will be required to take a second day test and must self-isolate until they get a negative result.

Only British and Irish nationals will be allowed into the UK from the new South African Red List countries.

Red List Countries

Botswana Swaziland Lesotho Namibia South Africa Zimbabwe Angola Malawi Mozambique Zambia

They will have to show a negative test taken within three days of departure and then have to spend 10 days in a government-approved quarantine hotel, at a cost of more than £2,000, after landing.

There is no mandate on doing homework, with a Downing Street spokesperson stressing that they make their own decisions “it’s up to employers”.

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All people over the age of 18 will be able to book a booster vaccine for COVID-19, following a government-supported expansion of the vaccination program to deal with the potential impact of the Omicron variant.

Starting at 4 a.m. on November 28, anyone identified as having close contact with someone with the Omicron variant will have to self-isolate for 10 days — regardless of vaccination status.

The government says it will review the rules within three weeks.

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