COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Travellers to UK must take PCR tests and masks to be made mandatory in shops and on public transport



Boris Johnson has announced fresh measures to curb the spread of coronavirus including mandatory masks in shops and PCR tests for travellers entering England after two cases of the Omicron variant were detected in the country.

Amid mounting global concern over Omicron, named a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization on Friday, the prime minister set out a series of steps the UK is taking to maximise its defence against Covid-19.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Johnson said anyone arriving in England will be asked to take a PCR test for Covid-19 on the second day and must self-isolate until they provide a negative test. The rules on face coverings in shops and on public transport in England will also be tightened, he said.

Contacts of all confirmed cases of people infected with the Omicron variant in England will have to self-isolate for 10 days. Health officials are also examining the case for widening access to the booster vaccine programme, he added.

Omicron is potentially more contagious than previous variants, although experts do not know yet if it will cause more severe illness. Johnson warned it could reduce the effectiveness of vaccines, as he announced a strengthening of England’s rules after two cases were identified in Nottingham and Brentwood in Essex.

In an effort to slow the spread, Johnson announced “temporary and precautionary” measures to be reviewed in three weeks, alongside an expansion of the vaccine booster campaign.

Omicron: What are the new Plan B rules for England?



The government has announced new Covid rules for England, in response to concern over the Omicron variant.

It says people should work from home where possible, and will have to show their Covid status for entry to many venues.
What are the new measures for England?

From Friday 10 December, face coverings will be mandatory for most indoor public venues including places of worship, theatres and cinemas, as well as in shops and on public transport.

Masks will still not be needed in hospitality settings such as pubs or restaurants, nor in venues where it is "not practical to wear them" (for instance, where exercise or singing takes place).

From Monday 13 December, people should work from home "if they can".

From Wednesday 15 December (subject to parliamentary approval), people will need an NHS Covid Pass - or a negative lateral flow test - to gain entry to:

• Nightclubs
  
• Indoor seated venues with more than 500 people
  
• Unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people
  
• Any venue with more than 10,000 people

Plan B: West Midlands firms react to Covid restrictions



New Covid-19 restrictions will put firms in a "precarious situation", according to some businesses in the West Midlands hospitality industry.

The latest changes by the government include guidance to work from home, wearing masks in most public places and Covid passes for some venues.

Business owners said they were relieved not to face a full lockdown.

However, many small firms said the rules meant they faced a tough Christmas and New Year.

One expressed fears they "may not survive".

Under "Plan B" measures - intended to get a grip on the Omicron variant - the working-from-home guidance comes into effect on Monday next week, and the passes on Wednesday.

Beatrice Pallister runs JuJu's Cafe in Birmingham with her mum and said since the measures had been announced, about 80 people had cancelled their Christmas bookings, accounting for almost a quarter of the small restaurant's covers.

Ms Pallister said it "feels like it's come out of the blue" as pubs and restaurants won't be affected by the new rules, adding the cancellations were "heart-breaking".

"It leaves us in a really tricky spot," Ms Pallister said. "We've just started paying back our government loan, there's no furlough and the next quarter is notoriously difficult for hospitality."

Sham Sharma owns Zuri Coffee in Wolverhampton and said he had already noticed trade falling over the past two weeks.

He is chair of the city's business forum and says if more people work at home that "leaves us in a precarious situation", adding firms will lose further sales and have to "dig deep in our pockets and stay afloat".

"We are feeling a bit desperate," he said. "Obviously there is no help any more, there is no furlough and there is no other help."

In Oswestry, Shropshire, café owner Lucinda Coslett said the lack of footfall would hit her business hard.

"Working from home, as a market trader, it is going to put a lot of small businesses out of business," she said. "We may not survive."

At Coventry's Belgrade Theatre, executive director Joanna Reid said the new restrictions was "like having the rug pulled from under your feet".

"It's a huge disappointment," she said. "Theatre is so reliant on people's confidence in public health and what 'Plan B' does is really puncture people's confidence."

Ms Reid said the theatre had already received calls from people wanting to cancel their pantomime tickets, this on top of shows being suspended until 18 December following an outbreak of coronavirus among the cast.

"All venues bank on their Christmas offering," she said, adding it would be a "massive problem industry wide" for the long term financial viability of theatres to lose money at this time of year.

Alert level increased to Level 4 ahead of Boris Johnson national address

The UK's Covid Alert Level has been increased from Level 3 to Level 4 after the emergence of the omicron variant.

Level 4 means that the epidemic "is in general circulation; transmission is high and direct COVID-19 pressure on healthcare services is widespread and substantial or rising".

Level 3 had meant the epidemic was in general circulation, but with no mention of pressure on health services.

The UK's Chief Medical Officers and Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, said in a joint statement: "The NHS is currently under pressure mainly driven by non-Covid pressures. With a variant spreading with increased transmissibility and reduced vaccine effectiveness, we are likely to see this pressure rise soon.

"It is extremely important that if you are eligible, you get your Covid vaccination now – whether this be your first, second or booster dose."

While transmission is still mostly being driven by the delta variant, the emergence of omicron "adds rapidly increasing risk", the UKHSA said, advising people to take "sensible precautions" such as self-isolating if they have symptoms, ventilating rooms and using face coverings.

Boris Johnson is to address the nation at 8pm in a pre-recorded message, providing an update on the booster campaign.

New booster target as Johnson declares Omicron 'emergency'



Booster jabs will be offered to everyone over 18 in England from this week, the PM has announced, as he declared an "Omicron emergency".

"No one should be in any doubt, there is a tidal wave of Omicron coming," Boris Johnson said in a TV statement on Sunday evening.

The target to vaccinate all adults by the end of January will be brought forward by a month, he said.

He said some medical appointments may be postponed to focus on boosters.

Mr Johnson gave his Covid update on Sunday evening - just hours after the UK's Covid alert level was raised to four due to the spread of new Omicron virus variant.

Level four means a high or rising level of transmission - and the last time the UK was at level four was in May.

"I'm afraid we're now facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant Omicron," said Mr Johnson.

"It is now clear that two doses of vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need. But the good news is that our scientists are confident that with a third dose, a booster dose, we can all bring our level of protection back up."

He added: "At this point our scientists cannot say that Omicron is less severe.

"And even if that proved to be true, we already know it is so much more transmissible that a wave of Omicron through a population that was not boosted would risk a level of hospitalisation that could overwhelm our NHS and lead sadly to very many deaths."