PM announces Covid Plan B restrictions

Boris Johnson has toughened coronavirus measures in England amid concern over the increasing spread of the Omicron variant.

Speaking at a Downing Street news conference on Wednesday evening, the Prime Minister announced the measures in the government’s “Plan B”.

These include :

• COVID passports in “certain settings” like nightclubs and mass events

• People should work from home, if they can, for a “limited period” -from Monday

• Face masks a legal requirement in “certain settings” including theatres and cinemas – but not bars and restaurants – from Friday

The UK has also recorded 51,342 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours and a further 161 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus.

Mr Johnson had already reintroduced mandatory face mask wearing on public transport and in shops, as well as other settings in England, following the discovery of the Omicron variant last month.

He has also recently toughened travel restrictions and put a number of African countries on the travel red list.