IT'S OVER: England drops vaccine passports, mask mandates, and work restrictions

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an end to COVID restrictions in England, including face masks in public places and vaccine passports. Johnson said on Wednesday that the government would end its advisory telling people to work from home.

This comes after Johnson has been slammed in the press for attending parties while the rest of the nation was in lockdown and Queen Elizabeth sat masked and socially distanced at the funeral for her husband Prince Philip.

Johnson warned that while the country should be proud, that this is not a guaranteed finish line for the pandemic, as future variants could become a factor. "We must learn to live with COVID in the same way we live with flu," said Johnson.

According to the BBC:

• Mandatory Covid passports for entering nightclubs and large events would end, though organisations could choose to use the NHS Covid pass if they wished
• People would no longer be advised to work from home and should discuss their return to offices with employers
• Face masks will no longer be mandated, though people are still advised to wear coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces and when meeting strangers
• From Thursday, secondary school pupils will no longer have to wear face masks in classrooms and government guidance on their use in communal areas would be removed "shortly."

Johnson also said that there are plans to end requirements for people who test positive for COVID to self isolate, and instead that people follow guidelines. Regulations set to expire on March 24 are not to be renewed, said Johnson.