#16,361
With the NHS under pressure (see NHS England: Record 999 Calls & Most A&E Visits For Month Of October), and upwards to 40K COVID cases a day, there have been calls to reinstate the mask mandate in the UK for more than a month (see London Mayor Sadiq Khan Calls For Mandatory Face Masks On Public Transport).
But the government has resisted the idea, fearing both the economic and political consequences.
It appears that the arrival of the Omicron variant has finally forced the issue, with the UK Department of Social Care releasing the following statement:
Government takes decisive action against new COVID-19 variant
From Tuesday 30 November, face coverings will be mandatory in shops and on public transport and all travellers returning to the UK will require PCR testing.
From:Department of Health and Social Care Published 28 November 2021
Temporary and precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant in the UK will come into force on Tuesday, the government has confirmed.
From 4am Tuesday 30 November face coverings will be compulsory in shops and other settings such as banks, post offices and hairdressers, as well as on public transport unless individuals are exempt from doing so.
All travellers arriving into the country from 4am on Tuesday 30 November will be required to take a PCR test on or before day 2 and self isolate until they have received a negative test result. These PCR tests can be purchased from private providers. Free NHS tests are not valid for this purpose.
Under the UK presidency an urgent meeting of G7 health ministers will also be convened on Monday 29 November to discuss the developments on Omicron.
This update adds to the measures rapidly implemented earlier this week to prevent the spread of the new variant including travel restrictions and meaning all close contacts of anyone who has tested positive for the Omicron variant are required to isolate for 10 days regardless of whether they have been vaccinated.
With world travel shutting down (see ABC News Wary, weary world slams doors shut, fearing omicron variant) and the return of social distancing recommendations - all due to an emerging COVID variant - it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas (2020) again.
This time, of course, half the world is vaccinated. And that could make a huge difference in the impact of Omicron. At least in terms of severe illness or death.
But there's no denying that Omicron has thrown us a curveball. And sadly, there are no guarantees that this is the last one we'll see from COVID-19.
