London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jan 22, 2026

Covid-19: What are the remaining restrictions set to go?

Covid-19: What are the remaining restrictions set to go?

Health Minister Robin Swann will make an order to revoke all remaining Covid-19 restrictions on Tuesday.

Mr Swann said those remaining measures "should no longer be set out in regulations" and instead will be put in guidance issued to the public.

The executive collapsed earlier in February but individual ministers are still in place.

BBC News NI explains the current rules on socialising, working, face coverings and other areas, which will be revoked on Tuesday.

Hospitality and events


While Covid status certification will no longer be legally required in any settings, hospitality and entertainment venues will still be encouraged to use it. Although not needed at hospitality venues and events, vaccine certification will continue to be available to anyone who needs it to travel abroad.

Hospitality and entertainment venues, conference and other events organisers will no longer be required to collect visitor information.

The so-called rule of six in hospitality settings has already been removed


Workplaces


The requirement for offices to take reasonable measures for 2m (6ft) social distancing has already been removed, but soon risk assessments will no longer be required.

There will no longer be a requirement to collect visitor information in workplaces, including close contact services.

It is unclear whether or not work-from-home guidance, where possible, will continue.

Testing and self-isolation


There are no plans at this stage for changes to the current arrangements for testing, contact tracing and isolation.

The minimum self-isolation period for people testing positive for Covid-19 has already been reduced, subject to negative lateral flow tests on days five and six of a person's isolation.

People are no longer required to social distance outdoors in Northern Ireland


Face coverings


There will no longer be a requirement to wear a face covering in any enclosed public areas, including shops, restaurants, cafés, bars and pubs, public transport, driving instruction and close contact services.

However the importance of wearing face coverings in health and social care settings, on public transport and in enclosed indoor settings will continue to be strongly emphasised.

Schools


There is no specific mention of schools in the health guidance and, as yet, the Department of Education has not made clear whether or not it will now remove its rules on social distancing and mask wearing in school settings and on school buses.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
Will AI Finally Make Blue-Collar Workers Rich—or Is This Just Elite Tech Spin?
Prince William to Make Official Visit to Saudi Arabia in February
Prince Harry Breaks Down in London Court, Says UK Tabloids Have Made Meghan Markle’s Life ‘Absolute Misery’
Malin + Goetz UK Business Enters Administration, All Stores Close
EU and UK Reject Trump’s Greenland-Linked Tariff Threats and Pledge Unified Response
UK Deepfake Crackdown Puts Intense Pressure on Musk’s Grok AI After Surge in Non-Consensual Explicit Images
Prince Harry Becomes Emotional in London Court, Invokes Memory of Princess Diana in Testimony Against UK Tabloids
UK Inflation Rises Unexpectedly but Interest Rate Cuts Still Seen as Likely
AI vs Work: The Battle Over Who Controls the Future of Labor
Buying an Ally’s Territory: Strategic Genius or Geopolitical Breakdown?
AI Everywhere: Power, Money, War, and the Race to Control the Future
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Arctic Power Grab: Security Chessboard or Climate Crime Scene?
Starmer Steps Back from Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Amid Strained US–UK Relations
Prince Harry’s Lawyer Tells UK Court Daily Mail Was Complicit in Unlawful Privacy Invasions
UK Government Approves China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London Amid Debate Over Security and Diplomacy
Trump Cites UK’s Chagos Islands Sovereignty Shift as Justification for Pursuing Greenland Acquisition
UK Government Weighs Australia-Style Social Media Ban for Under-Sixteens Amid Rising Concern Over Online Harm
Trump Aides Say U.S. Has Discussed Offering Asylum to British Jews Amid Growing Antisemitism Concerns
UK Seeks Diplomatic De-escalation with Trump Over Greenland Tariff Threat
Prince Harry Returns to London as High Court Trial Begins Over Alleged Illegal Tabloid Snooping
High-Speed Train Collision in Southern Spain Kills at Least Twenty-One and Injures Scores
Meghan Markle May Return to the U.K. This Summer as Security Review Advances
Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat Sparks EU Response and Risks Deep Transatlantic Rift
Prince Harry’s High Court Battle With Daily Mail Publisher Begins in London
Trump’s Tariff Escalation Presents Complex Challenges for the UK Economy
UK Prime Minister Starmer Rebukes Trump’s Greenland Tariff Strategy as Transatlantic Tensions Rise
Prince Harry’s Last Press Case in UK Court Signals Potential Turning Point in Media and Royal Relations
OpenAI to Begin Advertising in ChatGPT in Strategic Shift to New Revenue Model
GDP Growth Remains the Most Telling Barometer of Britain’s Economic Health
Prince William and Kate Middleton Stay Away as Prince Harry Visits London Amid Lingering Rift
Britain Braces for Colder Weather and Snow Risk as Temperatures Set to Plunge
Mass Protests Erupt as UK Nears Decision on China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London
Prince Harry to Return to UK to Testify in High-Profile Media Trial Against Associated Newspapers
Keir Starmer Rejects Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat as ‘Completely Wrong’
Trump to hit Europe with 10% tariffs until Greenland deal is agreed
Prince Harry Returns to UK High Court as Final Privacy Trial Against Daily Mail Publisher Begins
Britain Confronts a Billion-Pound Wind Energy Paradox Amid Grid Constraints
The graduate 'jobpocalypse': Entry-level jobs are not shrinking. They are disappearing.
Cybercrime, Inc.: When Crime Becomes an Economy. How the World Accidentally Built a Twenty-Trillion-Dollar Criminal Economy
The Return of the Hands: Why the AI Age Is Rewriting the Meaning of “Real Work”
UK PM Kier Scammer Ridicules Tories With "Kamasutra"
×