Plan B restrictions to be removed

The prime minister has announced that plan B restrictions will be relaxed in England from 27th January. Boris Johnson added that the government will set out a long-term plan for living with Covid-19 in due course.

From next Thursday, the mandatory wearing of face coverings, the use of Covid passports and the recommendation to work from home will all be removed. Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer agreed to support the move subject to studying the scientific reasoning behind it.

UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls welcomed the news, saying: “Lifting the working from home recommendation is a particularly important move as it enables town and city centres, and the businesses that are their lifeblood, to begin their revival and recovery. These businesses will be eagerly looking forward to welcoming their customers back over the coming days and weeks.

“This signals a move to a more balanced reaction to dealing with the virus. It’s critical that the health infrastructure remains in place, such as testing capabilities. Some hospitality businesses may retain safety measures in order to keep their staff and customers safe, but the nation must avoid further restrictions in future as the virus becomes endemic.”

Ronan Harte, CEO of BaxterStorey, struck a similar tone, saying: “I welcome the news that working from home restrictions are being lifted so that we can move on from this short-term measure and get back to business. The hospitality sector has been faced with yet another disruption, but I feel positive about the return to the workplace and hope to see employers encouraging workers back. We are a resilient industry and I am confident that we will build back faster and stronger this time.”

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