All the coronavirus rules set to change in England tomorrow

29 November 2021, 08:12

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

The coronavirus rules are set to change in England this week - with laws tightening on face masks and travel.

With the rise of the Omicron variant in the UK, coronavirus rules are set to be tightened this week. 

The government is calling an urgent meeting of G7 health ministers on Monday to discuss the strain which was first detected in South Africa.

A third Omicron infection was detected in the UK on Sunday, in a person who visited Westminster before leaving the country. 

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The first two cases were found in Nottingham and Essex.

But what are the new coronavirus rules and when do they come into place? 

What are the new coronavirus rules in England? 

Rules on mask-wearing are now being tightened across England, while stricter measures on travel into the country are being introduced.

Face masks will be required in shops and on public transport from tomorrow (Tuesday 30)  under emergency measures announced over the weekend.

These rules are already in place in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

PCR tests will also be required of anyone returning from abroad, while a 10-day quarantine is being introduced for everyone arriving from a red list country.

As well as this, teachers and pupils in Year 7 and above are now being ‘strongly advised’ to wear masks in communal areas outside classrooms.

Close contacts of people who have tested positive for the Omicron variant are also being ordered to isolate for 10 days even if they have been vaccinated.

Dr Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, acknowledged it was "very likely" that further cases of Omicron would be discovered in the coming days.

Health Minister Edward Argar told Sky News: "I'll be honest with you and your viewers, I would expect that to rise.

“We don’t know by what speed or what numbers so therefore what we’re doing is trying to slow it down, but we’re clear we can’t stop it."

But Health Secretary Sajid Javid has reassured families that they should plan for a Christmas ‘as normal’ and insisted the government would not be reintroducing social distancing rules and work-from-home guidance.

The government will also be speeding up the roll out of the booster jab over the coming weeks. 

JCVI deputy chairman Professor Anthony Harnden told the BBC that adults aged 18 to 39 should expect third jabs to be offered to them ‘earlier than we had previously envisaged’.