England rolling back COVID-19 restrictions, PM Boris Johnson says

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the end of COVID-19 measures introduced to curb the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in England as he looks to live with the virus after a peak in cases.

Britain was the first country to limit international travel over the Omicron variant, raising alarm bells about its mutations, and in December introduced work-at-home advice, more mask-wearing and vaccine passes to slow its spread.

But while cases soared to record highs, hospitalizations and deaths have not risen by the same extent, in part due to Britain’s booster rollout and the variant’s lesser severity.

Johnson’s approach