The Prime Minister announced today that face masks will be compulsory on public transport and in shops as part of his crackdown to fight the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
Within minutes of the mandate, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Twitter that face coverings will be necessary on public transport and ‘in some other indoor settings’.
The full detail of the ‘tightened’ rules will be announced in the next few days, he said.
But Boris Johnson said there will be no changes for the hospitality sector, which would have been devastated by restrictions in the run-up to the Christmas period.
The tightening of rules comes amid fears the new super-mutant strain makes jabs 40 per cent less effective after Mr Johnson said the variant ‘might in part reduce the effectiveness of vaccines over time’.
Hours earlier, the health secretary confirmed that two people tested positive with the new variant in Essex and Nottingham, that the cases are linked and related to travel from southern Africa.
The Prime Minister announced today that face masks will be compulsory on public transport and in shops as part of his crackdown to fight the Omicron variant of coronavirus
At a Downing Street press conference this evening, Mr Johnson, 57, announced that wearing face masks in public transport and shops will be compulsory.
Within minutes, Mr Shapps tweeted: ‘People will also now be required to wear a face covering on public transport and in some other indoor settings.
‘These are targeted measures to provide confidence and protection, and we will review these measures in three weeks to ensure they are working effectively.’
He also reiterated Mr Johnson’s crackdown on travel, confirming that fully vaccinated arrivals to the UK will be required to self-isolate until they get a negative test, and all contacts of people infected with the mutation must stay at home for 10 days.
Mr Shapps added: ‘With the first cases of Omicron variant identified in the UK, we’re taking extra measures to protect public health.
‘All fully vaccinated arrivals to the UK are required to self-isolate when they arrive, take a PCR test on or before day 2, and continue to self-isolate until they receive a negative result.
‘For those who test positive, they must isolate for 10 days. There will be no change for unvaccinated travellers. People will also now be required to wear a face covering on public transport and in some other indoor settings.
Within minutes of the mandate, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Twitter that face coverings will be necessary on public transport and ‘in some other indoor settings’
‘These are targeted measures to provide confidence and protection, and we will review these measures in three weeks to ensure they are working effectively.’
Mr Johnson also refused to rule out a lockdown at Christmas when pressed by reporters, warning that Omicron ‘diverges quite significantly from other configurations of the virus’ and that it will ‘reduce the protections of our vaccines over time’.
Sir Patrick also warned that the UK may need to ‘face up’ to the possibility of further action if the Omicron variant is very transmissible.
And Prof Whitty said the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will now need to decide whether to extend the booster vaccine down to adults age 18, and whether a second dose should be offered to children aged 12-15 who decided with their families to get the first dose of the vaccine.
The announcement came after the Transport Salaried Staffs Association called for the immediate compulsory introduction of face coverings across the public transport system as a precaution against the Omicron variant.
General Secretary Manuel Cortes said: ‘It’s vitally important immediate precautionary steps are taken to do all we can to combat the spread of the new Omicron variant.
‘The Government has already introduced travel restrictions to several countries but they need to go further. The Government should move swiftly to bring in more measures until we know more about this new strain.
‘One thing which would help is the compulsory introduction of face masks on all forms of public transport.
‘Ministers must know this is a no brainier because it will help to protect not only the travelling public but those brave transport workers, our members, who have stood on the front line throughout what is an ongoing pandemic.’
Boris Johnson said the exact rules on face coverings will be set out soon.
He told the Downing Street press conference: ‘On face coverings, what we’re looking at is retail and transport, just going back to a position where you have to wear them in retail settings or on public transport.
‘But the Health Secretary Sajid (Javid) will be setting out more in the course of the next day or so.’
