What new Covid restrictions are coming into force in England?

Boris Johnson has announced new Covid restrictions across England, to come into force over a period from Friday. Below is a guide to what will happen.

What is plan B, and what does it involve?

This is the autumn/winter contingency plan for fast-rising Covid cases set out when restrictions were lifted over the summer. It set out three mitigations: a requirement to wear a mask in some settings; advice to work from home for a period; and so-called Covid status certificates, or vaccine passports. Advice on mask-use has already changed, meaning people are required to use them on public transport and in shops.

Basically, plan B but with a few tweaks. Masks will now also be needed, from Friday, in “most public indoor venues” including cinemas and theatres, unless people are exercising, eating, drinking or singing. People will be asked to work from home from Monday where possible. He also announced a scheme for Covid certificates in some venues, to begin a week from now.

While the original plan B envisaged only vaccination being allowed, Johnson said people will also be able to show evidence of a recent negative lateral flow test – some MPs and ministers were known to be wary of vaccine-only certificates.

These will be mandatory for nightclubs or other large crowded spaces. They will be needed for all unseated indoor venues with a capacity of 500 or more; all unseated outdoor venues of 4,000 or more; or any venue, seated or not, which contain 10,000 or more, meaning they will be needed for football stadiums and other mass sports venues.

The certificates will need to be shown via the NHS app. People can register their details, and then download a QR-based “pass” which shows when they received their boosters. This can also be printed off from the NHS website. The app and website also allow people to upload negative lateral flow tests.

What sort of vaccination would be required?

The scheme would require two doses of a recognised vaccine. However, Johnson said expanding this to also include booster jabs would be kept under review.

Would MPs have to vote on this?

Downing Street has said previously that it would like the Commons to have its say, and the health secretary, Sajid Javid, made a statement to MPs at the same time as Johnson announced the new measures at a press conference. However, a Commons vote is not necessary.

A government document setting out the background for possible Covid certification says that while the government would want to hold a vote on any significant changes to Covid rules, if this was not possible, for example cases shot up during recess, the necessary regulations could be changed using emergency procedures in the 1984 Public Health Act. These would need to be retrospectively approved by MPs within 28 days.

Would the government win a vote on vaccine passports?

Most likely. Even if a number of Tory MPs rebelled, Labour has called for plan B to be introduced, and as such would be expected to support the idea.

What is the rest of the UK doing?

In general, a bit more, or at least up to now. Scotland has already been advising people to work from home if possible, and has longer-standing rules on masks. In Wales, from last month people have had to show an NHS Covid pass (which unlike the English plan allows people to also demonstrate a recent negative test instead of just vaccination) to go to theatres, cinemas and concert halls. Northern Ireland has perhaps the most stringent rules, including a limit of 30 people meeting inside homes, and obliging hospitality businesses to collect customers’ test-and-trace details, and carry out risk assessments for bigger indoor gatherings.

Many other European countries have, in particular, introduced internal Covid certificates as condition of entry to many places. Since the summer, people in France have had to show a health pass, giving proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test, to enter cafes, restaurants and cinemas, and take long-distance trains.

Germany has more recently introduced a similar scheme for access to places such as restaurants or fitness centres. Other countries have gone further. Austria imposed lockdown rules only for those not fully vaccinated, with the country’s chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg, saying this would tackle both rising infection levels and the country’s “shamefully low” vaccination rate.

Other countries to have used or proposed vaccine passports include Denmark, Israel, Greece, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Slovakia.