Spread Of Omicron Variant Reaches Its Peak: PM Boris Johnson Cancels COVID-19 Restrictions, Masks Are Not Mandatory

Illustration of a COVID-19 test center in the UK. (Wikimedia Commons/Auledas)

JAKARTA - People in the UK will no longer be required to wear face masks everywhere, or work from home from next week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday, adding scientists believe the wave of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has peaked nationwide.

PM Johnson also said that while people were still required to self-isolate for now, he did not expect to renew the self-isolation law, which expires in March, and would consider scrapping the requirement sooner.

"Due to the overwhelming booster dose campaign, together with the way the public responded to Plan B measures, we were able to return to Plan A in the UK and allow Plan B regulations to expire as a result starting next Thursday," Johnson told parliament, cited from Reuters January 19.

PM Johnson also said that mandatory COVID-19 certification would end, although businesses could choose to continue with COVID-19 clearance if they wished.

Citing CNA, the UK was the first country to restrict international travel to the Omicron variant, raising alarm about its mutation, and in December introduced advice on working from home, wearing more masks, and a vaccine clearance to slow its spread.

But while cases jumped to record highs, hospitalizations and deaths did not increase at the same rate, in part due to the launch of the UK booster and the variant's lower severity.

PMJohnson's approach to avoiding lockdown and living with the virus contrasts with his zero-tolerance approach to COVID-19 in China and Hong Kong, and tighter restrictions in many other European countries.

"Many countries across Europe have experienced further winter lockdowns. However, this government is taking a different path," said PM Johnson.

To note, PM Johnson has faced criticism for his handling of the pandemic as a whole, and the UK has reported 152.513 deaths, the seventh-highest total globally.