Learn more about the government’s updated COVID-19 measures following the ending of Plan B in England, and what it means for firms.
The government has announced that England will fully return to Plan A on Thursday 27 January thanks to the success of the booster programme.
On 8 December, the Prime Minister announced a move to Plan B in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. This included guidance to work from home, the introduction of COVID-19 passes for entering nightclubs and other large venues, and mandatory face masks in shops and on public transport.
The measures introduced helped to control the spread of COVID-19, bought time to assess the severity of the variant and allowed the NHS to rapidly expand the booster programme to strengthen its defences.
You can find the latest information and guidance from the government for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
So, what has changed?
Face coverings
- Face masks will no longer be required from 27 January, including on public transport, though people are still advised to wear coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces
- As of 20 January, face masks will no longer be required in classrooms and the Department for Education will remove national guidance on their use in communal areas shortly.
Working from home
- The recommendation for people to work from home “if they can” ended on 19 January; employees are advised to speak to their line managers about returning to the office and should follow the Working Safely guidance.
Reminder: changes to self-isolation policy
- As of 17 January, vaccinated people self-isolating with COVID-19 symptoms can now reduce their isolation period if they test negative on day 5 and day 6 using LFD tests and do not have a temperature
- Individuals who are still positive on their lateral flow tests must stay in isolation until they take two consecutive negative tests on separate days.
The CBI’s response
Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement, Matthew Fell, CBI Chief Policy Director, welcomed the rolling back of Plan B measures and said that businesses will be hopeful we are starting to turn the corner on Covid-19.
The CBI called for greater consistency in how we live with the virus long term to avoid swinging between restrictions and normality. This means the government should prioritise COVID-19 infrastructure over interventions, including relying more on free testing and vaccines to deal with future variants.
The focus must now also be on restoring growth in key sectors like hospitality and international travel which have been dented by low demand.
Read the full CBI response to the government’s return to Plan A in England
What next?
The government will continue to monitor the overall impact of the virus on the NHS, society and the economy. The government also intends to set out a long-term plan for living with COVID-19, which the CBI will engage with using its Living with the variants document.
A further review of the current rules for international travel is also expected imminently.
The CBI will continue to gather insight from members on the impact of Covid-19 for business and reflect this in its conversations with the government. Businesses can send through anecdotes and questions to the CBI’s dedicated Coronavirus Mailbox.
What can businesses do?
Although social distancing limits no longer apply across most of the UK, businesses have a legal duty to manage the risks to their staff and customers.
Principles for effective risk mitigation for those continuing to work from or returning to the office include:
- Regular LFD testing
- Improving office ventilation
- Additional cleaning
- Mandating staff to use face coverings in close-contact settings.
More information on ‘COVID secure’ tools can be found on the government guidance on hygiene and ventilation, and the CBI’s factsheet on returning to work safely.
Businesses also have an important role to play in supporting the vaccination and booster roll-out. Businesses should show flexibility in supporting employees to get their vaccine/booster during work hours and ensure people have access to the facts info on the benefits of the vaccine. Firms can also allow staff to volunteer to help deliver booster rollout at pace. More information can be found in the government’s Employer Toolkit on vaccination.
Further resources
CBI resources
- The CBI’s Coronavirus Hub
- The CBI’s Living with the variants document
- The CBI’s Adapting to hybrid working toolkit
Government and regulator resources
02 Mar 22 
4 min 