Mask rules axed but Londoners urged to remain vigilant

London commuters will still be required to wear masks on public transport

Boris Johnson urged millions of people on Thursday to “remain cautious” against Covid as Plan B restrictions were axed on Thursday.

The Prime Minister hailed the “success of our booster roll-out, the tireless work of the NHS and the amazing public response” which he stressed meant the measures were ending in England on Thursday.

However, with signs that the sharp fall in Omicron cases in London and other places may have slowed, he also stressed: “The pandemic is not over – everyone should remain cautious, and I urge anyone who hasn’t yet got their vaccine to come forward.”

A further 12,727 confirmed Covid infections were announced for the capital on Wednesday, down from a peak of 27,799 on December 22.

However, the figure has fluctuated over the last fortnight between 14,774 on January 20 and 9,326 on the 23rd.

Dr Yvonne Young, deputy director for Health Protection at the UK Health Security Agency London, said: “The decline in London’s Covid-19 case rate has slowed recently and we are still seeing thousands of new cases per day.

“Reassuringly, hospital and ICU (intensive care unit) admissions for Covid-19 continue to fall, demonstrating the impact of Londoners’ actions in reducing the spread of the virus and the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing severe illness.

“But Covid-19 has not gone away. As Plan B measures are lifted across the city and country, it’s still just as important for everyone to follow public health advice and work together to stop further spread of the virus and protect our communities.”

She added: “Please continue to come forward for your vaccinations, keep wearing your face coverings in crowded or enclosed spaces and when using TfL (Transport for London) services.

“Testing remains a key way to control the spread and impact of Covid-19 so test regularly, especially just before socialising and seeing vulnerable friends and family, and remember to register your results. If you feel at all unwell, stay at home and take a PCR test.”

Face masks are from Thursday no longer legally mandatory on the Tube and other public transport but Mayor Sadiq Khan has made them a condition of travel on Transport for London services.

They are also no longer compulsory in shops, and vaccine passports for nightclubs and other venues have been ditched.

Omicron is a milder variant than the Delta mutation and there were 2,685 patients in London hospitals with Covid as of Wednesday, compared to 4,074 on January 5, with 176 so ill that they are on ventilators.

Studies have suggested around one in three, or even more, patients with Covid were admitted to hospital primarily for another reason.

The latest figures also showed 231 people with coronavirus were admitted to the city’s hospitals on Monday, compared to 511 on December 29.

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