New measures introduced to prevent Covid spread

Targeted measures to prevent the spread of the new Covid-19 Omicron variant take effect from Tuesday 30 November.

Targeted measures to prevent the spread of the new Covid-19 Omicron variant take effect from Tuesday 30 November.

Face coverings will once again be compulsory in shops and settings such as banks, post offices and hairdressers, as well as on public transport unless individuals are exempt from doing so. All hospitality settings are exempt.

All international arrivals must take a PCR test by the end of the second day after arrival and self-isolate until they receive a negative result. The PCR tests are available online from private providers.

Finally, all contacts of suspected Omicron cases must self-isolate, regardless of their age or vaccination status. They will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace.

They measures have been introduced as a precaution while more information is gathered and assessed on the variant’s transmissibility and any possible effect on our vaccines.

The JCVI advised the booster programme has been extended to all 18- to 39-year-olds and the gap between the second dose and booster was reduced to three months. All those aged 12 to 15 years have now been advised to receive a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, no sooner than 12 weeks after the first dose. Severely immunosuppressed individuals who have received three primary doses, should now also be offered a booster dose.


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