Boris Johnson confirms return of working from home guidance and tighter face mask rules

8 December 2021, 18:29 | Updated: 10 December 2021, 08:19

By Polly Foreman

The Prime Minister today confirmed that Plan B of coronavirus restrictions will be introduced in England.

People in England will be advised to work from home where possible and wear face masks in settings like theatres and cinemas, Boris Johnson confirmed today.

Speaking at a press conference from No10 Downing Street, Mr Johnson said that, due to the spread of the Omicron variant in the UK, we will be moving into Plan B over the next week.

The work from home guidance will be re-introduced next Monday (December 13), and employers are advised to discuss working arrangements with their staff this week.

• What is Covid 'Plan B' and what are the rules?

He said: "We will reintroduce guidance to work from home - from Monday work from home if you can, go to work if you must but work from home if you can."

There will also be tighter rules on face masks from Friday (December 10), which will become mandatory in settings like theatres and cinemas. They are already required in places like shops and public transport. On the subject of face coverings, Mr Johnson added: "There will be times when it's not practical, such as eating drinking exercising or singing."

He also announced that Covid passes will become mandatory in some large venues like nightclubs. These include unseated indoor venues with over 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with over 4,000 people, and any venue with over 10,000 people.