Javascript required
Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer
Home / Are We Going Back to Quarantine Again

Are We Going Back to Quarantine Again

  • Coronavirus

  • We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

    • Volition we go back into lockdown once more this year? It may be a new year but concern around the new Omicron variant and its high transmissibility has many people wondering about farther measures in 2022.

    Despite emerging symptoms of Omicron but earlier the festive period, Prime Government minister Boris Johnson confirmed that there wouldn't be whatsoever restrictions over Christmas – fifty-fifty going then far as to say that Christmas parties weren't cancelled. It was a decision that meant a echo of 2020's last-minute commemoration cancellation, when the PM introduced new measures on Dec 19, could exist avoided.

    Following this, the pandemic reached new heights in the U.k. as most 219,000 people tested positive on January 4, according to the UK Health Security Agency. But with cases now appearing to be levelling off, will the prime minister be putting the land back into lockdown?

    Volition we go back into lockdown this year?

    While we're still in the early on days of 2022, the prime minister has confirmed that England won't get dorsum into lockdown for the time being.

    Speaking during a recent visit to a vaccination centre, Boris Johnson said that the country was in a "much amend position" than final twelvemonth thanks to the vaccines.

    However, following the spike in Omicron cases over Christmas and New Year, he also warned it would exist "folly" to think the pandemic was over and said that pressure on hospitals would exist "considerable" in the upcoming weeks. For this reason, he kept Plan B restrictions in place following a review on January 5.

    Now at the end of January, the Plan B restrictions are reaching their expiry appointment. If the PM wanted to keep with the measures, which include confront masks in all public spaces and working from domicile guidance, he would have to pass them through Parliament again.

    People gathering at Waterloo Station, now it's been confirmed that we are not going back into lockdown

    Plan A guidance includes allowances for going back into the role, Credit: Getty

    Boris Johnson has announced that he will not exist standing the restrictions and volition commence with Plan A from January 20. This suggests above all that at that place is no plan to put England back into lockdown at the moment.

    Moving from Programme B to Plan A measures includes:

    • An end to the work from dwelling dominion in the Uk – with advice that people speak to their employer about returning to the part.
    • Pupils don't take to wear confront masks in the classroom
    • People can stop wearing face up masks in indoor public spaces
    • An end to mandatory Covid passes for some venues in England
    • Easing of care home restrictions

    It comes as the most recent data shows the number of people with Covid-19 has fallen in England significantly since the commencement of the Omicron wave. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), around 3.5 million people in the UK tested positive for coronavirus in the week ending Jan 15. While even so significant, this is much less than the 4.3 million who tested positive the week before.

    This now works out to exist roughly one in xx people infected with the virus or an estimated 5.3% of the population.

    Boris Johnson has previously warned, however, that people should exist "sensible" nearly their social interactions and take a lateral menstruum test before meeting people they don't normally see. This is especially important, health experts suggest, as the symptoms of Omicron resemble more of a common cold than previous strains. He also added that getting a kickoff, second or a booster jab was imperative to stay safe.

    "Nosotros've got to remain cautious, nosotros've got to stick with plan B, we've got to get additional," the prime minister said.

    While many believed we were set for some other Covid-themed Christmas, with restrictions limiting gatherings of family and friends, the prime number minister opted for a "normality" of sorts with Plan B.

    "The situation remains extremely difficult, simply I also recognise that people have been waiting to hear about whether their Christmas plans, your Christmas plans, are going to be affected," he said at the time.

    "What I can say tonight is that naturally we can't rule out any further measures afterward Christmas, and nosotros're going to keep a constant eye on the date – we will do whatever it takes to protect public health.

    "But, in the view of the continuing uncertainty about several things – the severity of Omicron, the uncertainty about the hospitalisation rates or the impact of the vaccine rollout and the boosters – we don't recollect today that at that place is plenty prove to justify any tougher measures before Christmas."

    This proclamation came but days before the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that the rules on when you tin come up out of Covid isolation have changed in England. Those who tested negative on day six and vii of their quarantine didn't take to isolate for the full 10 days. This has now, at the time of writing, been reduced to 5 days in isolation post-obit a negative test on day five and vi.

    Both the health secretary and the prime number minister have encouraged people to take up their booster jab when it is bachelor to them, saying it was "more vital than always". The jab is at present available to anyone over 16 years old, following updated guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI).

    Health officials have also urged people to continue taking tests for the virus, which are now available again afterward a temporary shortage in December. Lateral flow tests can be fake positive, however, this is highly unlikely to be the case according to new research. Then, anyone without symptoms should also use these to test where possible.

    The change in the rules came around the aforementioned time that reports emerged of gatherings taking place at 10 Downing Street over lockdown. Now being investigated by Sue Gray, who is a senior civil servant, the inquiry is expected to conclude in the coming weeks.

    Only while information technology looks similar England won't be going back into lockdown at the moment, experts take wanted that a tighter clampdown could be on the mode if people don't have to the measures.

    Professor Greg Towers, Partitioning of Infection and Immunity at Academy College London, said that if people treat the pandemic similar "information technology's all over" then there will be college infection rates – and more chance of a lockdown.

    He told Times Radio, "If we don't wear masks and if we ignore social distancing rules, and if we pretend it's all over, then what's going to happen is we'll get another big wave of infection and we'll get put into lockdown once more. And so, if nosotros don't desire lockdown, we've got to attempt and end the spread by easier means similar mask-wearing and social distancing."

    Plan A and B were announced earlier in the summertime by the government as the way the country would handle Covid-nineteen in the wintertime.

    Plan A prevented the NHS from experiencing serious force per unit area through vaccines for more than age groups and more testing. As function of the programme, Track and Trace continued and the government encouraged businesses to consider using the NHS Covid Pass to check whether customers had a double vaccination.

    Two people walking down the road wearing a face mask in England as we may go back into lockdown again

    Credit: Getty

    Plan B was put into place past officials as they believed the NHS was coming under "unsustainable pressure level" due to the Omicron variant over winter concluding yr.

    Earlier in October, following a rise to up to forty,000 cases for eight days in a row, doctors from The British Medical Clan said ministers should begin their Plan B. They also defendant the government of being "wilfully negligent" for refusing to reimpose Covid rules, such as compulsory confront masks, before this engagement.

    Nevertheless, Health Minister Edward Argar said at the time that the NHS was non nether the "unsustainable pressure" required to justify new restrictions. "We know how those numbers can rise swiftly, which is why we're looking at that day past day, hour by hour," he said. "But at the moment nosotros exercise accept the power to manage."

    On announcing the end of lockdown earlier this year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested that when the measures did lift, it would be "irreversible". Just in that location would besides be "merchandise offs" involved.

    He said, "We tin begin safely to restart our lives and practice it with confidence. But I want to be frank almost exactly what that means and the trade-offs involved. The vaccines reduce the danger of Covid: they save lives and they proceed people out of hospital.

    "Only no vaccine confronting any disease has ever been 100 per cent effective," he connected. "And so whenever nosotros ease the lockdown, whether it is today or in six or 9 months, we've got to exist realistic and accept that there will be more infections, more hospitalisations and therefore – sadly – more deaths, just every bit there are every year with flu. Even if we sustained the lockdown indefinitely, which would itself price lives and do immeasurable impairment to our children, we would not be able to eradicate this illness."

    "And that is why it is so crucial that this roadmap should exist cautious but as well irreversible. Nosotros are setting out on what I hope and believe is a ane manner road to freedom."

    Even when the government delayed the end of lockdown on June 21 2021 by four weeks, the message stayed the same. The prime number government minister connected to stress that England'due south approach was "cautious merely irreversible". He as well repeatedly referred to July 19 as the "terminus appointment" for restrictions. Following this, the public dubbed July 19 every bit "Freedom Day".

    Health Secretary Sajid Javid also said earlier in the summertime that there would exist no further lockdowns after July nineteen. He told news outlets that he wanted the restrictions to lift "every bit quickly every bit possible". He added it was "going to be irreversible, at that place's no going back. That'southward why we want to exist conscientious during that process."

    On July 5, all the same, the PM did reveal that the government would keep some "contingency measures" in place. These would be "to help manage the virus during higher gamble periods, such as the winter".

    He said, "We volition place emphasis on strengthened guidance and exercise everything possible to avert reimposing restrictions with all the costs that they bring."

    Announcing plans for how the country would "live with Covid", the government said that they intended to:

    • Reduce the vaccine dose interval for nether 40s from 12 weeks to 8
    • Move abroad from legal restrictions to allow people to brand their own decisions almost managing the virus
    • Continue with a "proportionate" test, trace and isolate arrangement
    • Maintain tough edge controls (with the requirement to prove a double vaccination before travel)

    In late July, experts were still cautioning the public that the state of affairs could worsen in the winter. They didn't ostend whether nosotros will go back into lockdown this year but said that if cases practise rise substantially, the government may have no selection simply to enforce restrictions.

    Is Scotland going back into lockdown?

    No, the about recent restrictions in Scotland came to an end on January 17 2022.

    Previously, only 100 people could attend indoor standing events, with up to 200 people at indoor seated events and up to 500 people – either seated or standing – at outdoor events. This restriction is no longer in place in Scotland as of January 17.

    So from January 24, all rules on indoor events and venues will be lifted – including the need for table service in hospitality locations. Nightclubs will also exist able to open up from this date.

    The change to the rules earlier the new twelvemonth meant that diverse larger scale Hogmanay events were cancelled.

    Starting time Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that over the first week of January, anybody should "stay at domicile right at present more than normal" and reduce social contact with people from outside of their household.

    "The new protective measures relating to hospitality, public indoor places and live events that I set out last week are now in force," she said.

    "Nosotros will review these on an ongoing ground – however, at this stage, our expectation is that they will exist in force until 17 Jan.

    Some social distancing measures were too re-introduced before Christmas, with Deputy Start Minister John Swinney urging people to accept "the greatest of care" when mixing households.

    This included the guidance to only mix in groups of up to iii households at a time and social distancing measures for shops and hospitality venues.

    "Nosotros hope that we accept done enough in the announcements that were made yesterday and nosotros promise that members of the public and businesses will piece of work with united states in a cooperative spirit to make certain that we can have these provisions forward," Mr Swinney told Good Morning Scotland at the fourth dimension.

    Nicola Sturgeon had previously warned that she was prepared to enforce Covid restrictions in Scotland where necessary.

    Speaking nigh the new restrictions, she said,  "Fifty-fifty if you lot feel angry with a politician just at present, please remember just how important compliance is for the health and safety of you, your loved ones and the country."

    Scotland was also the first to float the idea of a circuit breaker lockdown over the end of the summer. Information technology was a potential pick to stem the ascent in cases before kids went back to school for the new year's day. However, it didn't happen and Scotland have retained their Level Zero Covid status since restrictions were lifted in August.

    However, the FM used the SNP Conference in November – which occurred but hours afterward the diagnosis of the Omicron variant in Scotland – to double down on the fight against the virus.

    "In recent weeks, we have had much in Scotland to feel thankful for. Compared to many countries across Europe, Covid cases here have been stable – indeed they have been declining slightly. To be frank, that'south a much better position that I had dared hope for a couple of months agone."

    Just she said, "There are big and very real challenges ahead over the winter months. Cases are rise in countries all effectually us. Nosotros know that colder weather, forcing us indoors, coupled with festive socialising will create increased opportunities for the virus to spread. And, virtually seriously of all, the Omicron variant is causing profound business here and across the world.

    "So we must not drop our guard. This is a time to be more vigilant, not less."

    Ms Sturgeon said that a number of countries had been added to Scotland'due south travel red list and anyone arriving from these places must at present get into a managed quarantine facility. Travellers besides have to isolate until they get a negative result from the PCR examination that they do on day two of their arrival, regardless of where they've come from.

    "We are also asking shut contact of any confirmed cases of Omicron to isolate," she said, " That none of this was even contemplated just a few days ago, is a reminder of how fast this virus can move and change. We must, all of us, therefore redouble our efforts to finish it in its tracks."

    However, other ministers have previously noted that there would be issues with financially supporting some other lockdown in Scotland. Finance Secretary Kate Forbes claimed earlier this year that the state doesn't accept the money for further intense restrictions and would only be able to enforce them if the U.k. government was willing to fund a complete shutdown.

    Ms Forbes said that there wouldn't be any coin available for furlough if Scotland was forced to get into lockdown once again, leaving people unable to work without financial aid.

    Speaking a Holyrood's Finance Committee, she said, "Ane of the biggest challenges right at present from a fiscal perspective is the fact that there hasn't been that much boosted consequential funding from the Uk Regime in the last few months.

    "Correct now we are trying to remobilise the health service, remobilise the justice system, remobilise a whole host of different public services, equally well as deal with the ongoing covid impact from a budget that has non been supplemented past additional consequentials coming from the UK Government in the style that information technology was last year.

    "That'south not what we're discussing at the moment. We're talking virtually trying to maximise the impact of the baseline measures. But if we were to, so we have no certainty that furlough will be in place. We have no certainty that self employed income support will be in identify. And I have no certainty that there will be any additional funding in place.

    She added, "I am non sitting on funds right at present that I could deploy to support businesses. We would demand additional help from the U.k. Government."

    Is Wales going back into lockdown?

    First Minister Marking Drakeford warned that some of the scrapped Covid-19 restrictions could come dorsum and similarly to Scotland, enforced new measures before Christmas.

    Still, Mr Drakeford has now set out a program for Wales to return to alarm level null on January 28 if cases continue to fall as they are.

    The measures, put into place on Boxing Twenty-four hours 2021, included advice to limit social contact with others exterior of the household – particularly if seeing older or more than vulnerable people. At that place were too changes so it is an offence to not work from home if yous're able to. Simply groups of upwards to 6 people are immune to assemble in hospitality venues with the requirement for tabular array service, compulsory confront masks and contact tracing in place.

    Nightclubs also closed from Dec 27.

    Anyone going to the cinema, theatre, or a concert in Wales from November fifteen has to prove a double vaccination with a Covid pass. Pubs, cafes and restaurants also may require the passes besides.

    Will Northern Ireland have some other lockdown?

    Northern Ireland has had 1 of the slower journeys out of lockdown in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. Later only reopening nightclubs on October 31, executive ministers accept reinforced some restrictions.

    These included endmost nightclubs again on Dec 26 and banning all indoor continuing events. There also as well now restrictions on hospitality venues and pubs, cafes and restaurants must provide table service only. Like to Wales, only 6 people are allowed to sit together at a tabular array – but this rule does not allow to wedding celebrations.

    Proof of a double Covid vaccine is too required to proceeds access to some hospitality premises and indoor settings. Only this rule has been in place in Northern Ireland since December 13.

    In mid-Nov 2021, infection rates in Northern Republic of ireland were the highest in the UK – above Wales.

    • a close up of a woman at work in a meeting

      Can you get to work with Covid? Public health guidelines and sick pay information

    • a close up of someone testing for Omicron symptoms

      What are the symptoms of Omicron and how long are you lot contagious with it?

    • a child going to school with a face mask on during Covid

      Can kids become to school with Covid or if a parent is self-isolating?

    While working from home is not compulsory in England, Health Minister Robin Swann said he believes anyone in Northern Ireland who was working from home during the height of the pandemic concluding yr should practice so once more.

    The rules on face masks were never dropped in Northern Ireland either. They remain mandatory on public transport, in shops and in all indoor attractions unless you are exempt.

    bertlesandoing.blogspot.com

    Source: https://www.goodto.com/family/family-news/will-we-go-back-into-lockdown-this-year-595165